Blaze and the Airborne Castle
by GenericDude
Summary: Silver is kidnapped aboard a mysterious floating castle, and Blaze and friends set out to his rescue! But in its pursuit, danger is always close by... / A sequel to Blaze and the Principality of Alba, please R&R! Rated T for some blood and stuff.
1. Friction

**It's me; back again from the dead. And guess what? Sequel time! So if you haven't read the original, entitled Blaze and the Principality of Alba, or otherwise you won't get any of the stuff that's going on in this story! Of course I'll try to put in a little explanation through the story, just for those who either can't be bothered to read the original or have forgotten, but apart from that, enjoy, and drop me a review, will ya? Smiley face.**

Blaze and the Airborne Castle

Chapter 1: Friction

It had been three long years since the defeat of Gustav, the evil tyrant king of Zanskar. The scars he left on the world thanks to his power and money hungry ways had started to heal up and vanish, and things were getting to look better than they had ever been. Stock had been increasing, riots decreasing; it all seemed to be working rather well under Zanskar's new reigning monarchs, King Tinder and Queen Elaine. On one sunny morning, yet another peaceful shroud was to descend upon the land...

"I can't believe you, Silver!"

"Blaze, I have to do my duty!"

Or maybe not.

For up in the princess's quarters, things were less than peaceful. Silver and Blaze had found themselves in a heated argument. It wasn't their first.

"Duty this, duty that, you've been giving me that load of..." she yelled, stamping back and forth in anger.

"Hey, don't you swear now!" Silver suddenly cut across, dressed in his armour, as if he were going out to fight.

"...I've been having it for months now, nearly since we got together" Blaze complained in a calmer mood, her nostrils still flaring. "Every time I plan for us to go out somewhere, you come up to me at the last minute and tell me you have to do guard duty! It's not fair!" she shouted.

Silver approached her, in an attempt to be reasonable and nice.

"Aw, come on now, it's got to be done, y'know..." Silver said quietly, trying to reach and arm out for Blaze. But she whipped it away from her like a fly and stepped back.

"Stop trying to schmooze me, you...you..." Blaze uttered. Sparks were flying from her hands in anger, she was almost about to explode into a raging fireball and singe Silver into a crisp. Silver was annoyed too, the fact that Blaze would disregard a duty so important made him feel a little bitter inside.

"Listen, I do not like your attitude problem here" Silver confronted.

"Yeah, well I don't like your FACE problem!" Blaze retorted. Silver contemplated the strange insult before continuing.

"Whatever my 'face problem' is, it's not important" Silver explained.

"You're always doing this to me Silver...why can't you just organize yourself or something?" Blaze whimpered. Her anger had died slightly and had been replaced with sadness.

"But...you're the one who plans the dates, and the guard duty times are placed clear as day on the board outside the barracks. Surely you should..."

"I knew that!" Blaze screamed back at him. Silver just sighed and turned around at that point. Blaze's teary eyes opened slightly wider.

"W-wait...wh-where are you going? I'm not finished!" she said quietly.

"I've had enough of your voice for today..." Silver said quietly. "...I'm going on guard duty. See ya"

And before she could retaliate, Silver slammed the door behind him. She stood there, trying to process what Silver had just said. Images of the future flushed into her head, further arguments, confrontation, throwing furniture and vases, screaming...break up.

She sat down on her bed, unable to cry. Her head was swirling with so many thoughts it nearly paralyzed her. She didn't even notice her parents walking into the room and sitting by her sides. She finally snapped out at her father's voice.

"Blaze" Tinder said. "Let's have a talk"

She sighed, looking at her parents, who decided to grab stools and sit facing her.

"I don't think I've ever heard you so angry Blaze...and Silver walking out? Have you two been arguing or something?" Elaine asked, looking down towards Blaze. Over the past three years, Blaze was growing to become more of a woman...and a bit tantrummy (is that even a word?) in the process. Her fire skills had improved tenfold as well, so it was harder to keep it under control when she lost her temper with the little annoyances in life.

"...Yeah, we have" Blaze conceded. She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with her parents.

"What were you arguing about?" Tinder asked, taking his cloak off, revealing his leather armour and rough fur. Blaze looked up to the ceiling.

"...I organized for me and him to have a day out today...but he has guard duty...again" she explained.

"Again?" Elaine asked. "This has happened before?"

Blaze could only nod. What were all these arguments hinting at? The end? She didn't want to believe it, but the possibility was growing.

"So you had an argument because there was a commitment clash, correct?" Tinder assured, to which Blaze nodded again. Tinder then sighed to himself and sat down next to Blaze, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. He was bigger than she, even if she was growing a little, and his large muscled arm was almost like a pillow.

"Listen Blaze...I know you only have good intentions for Silver...but guard duty is an important thing" Tinder explained. "Just because I'm king doesn't mean I've made everything perfect. There are still brigands out there, and they could easily attack. That's why guard duty is so important. Just imagine if some of your most favourite possessions were to be stolen...all your lovely clothes, jazz records, things like that. How would it feel to lose it all one night?" Tinder asked. Blaze was tearing up and couldn't manage a full answer.

"...A-awful..." she uttered. Elaine then sat closer and took Blaze's hand.

"And those brigands don't just steal. Some of them kill. Without guards, you could easily be killed. Me and your father could both die, you know" she explained. Blaze then started to fully cry, her mind ridden with the awful pictures of the deaths of loved ones. She dug herself into her father's arm, blotting her tears in his leather sleeve.

"Don't cry now, Blaze" Tinder said comfortingly. "It isn't right for a growing woman like you to cry. Silver helps protect you and everything dear to you. You should appreciate that"

"And don't doubt Silver's commitments to you. He's still as madly in love with you as the first day he met you, Blaze" Elaine explained. "It's his job to place duty above everything else, but when duty isn't being called for; he does his best to devote to you. He even gave up his position as a Field Commander to devote more time to you"

"A position I've had to fill until someone new steps up to give it a shot" Tinder explained.

"But we've been arguing so much over the past months...isn't that supposed to be hinting at a break up or something?" Blaze asked. Tinder started laughing, and so did Elaine.

"Don't be silly!" Elaine said. "Me and your father argue all the time, don't we dear?"

"True that" Tinder responded. "I mean yesterday, we had an argument about why you mother always has the shinier, cleaner throne! Silly it may sound, but we argued for five hours!" Tinder explained.

"I won eventually" Elaine added, smirking at his envious husband. "...but the point is that couples who deeply love each other always have friction between them on something or another. It's healthy for a relationship, you know" she explained.

Blaze lifted her face from her father's arm and rested the side of her head against it.

"...I don't know..." she said quietly. "I'm still so confused about what to do next...I'm nervous..."

"Maybe you two should have a little time off each other...I can guarantee that after a couple of days being away from each other, you'll just want to get back in each other's arms. Absence makes the heart grow fonder" Tinder explained. Elaine stood up from her stool.

"I hope our little chat has opened your eyes and ears to what you didn't know before" Elaine explained. "I'll talk to Silver for you, you don't have to worry"

"And as for yourself, it's time for your swordplay lesson" Tinder added, picking Blaze up to her feet, standing himself. "We worked on vertical and horizontal slashes yesterday, now today's blocking day!"


	2. The Kidnapping of Silver

Chapter 2: The Kidnapping of Silver

The following morning, Blaze awoke to terror and tears. The entire castle and the city surrounding it were in complete disarray. There had been an attack.

Blaze rushed into the throne room, where both her parents were busy consulting with different captains, giving orders on what to do. Tinder noticed Blaze's entry and walked up to her, allowing Elaine to tend to the orders of the captains.

"Father, what's happened?" she demanded upon walking in.

"We've been attacked" he said quickly, a stern look on his face.

"Brigands?" Blaze said, concerned for the state of the castle. Tinder shook his head.

"We...we're not sure of what attacked..." he said quietly.

"What do you mean, you're not sure? Father, what's wrong? You look terrible..." Blaze noted. Tinder then placed a hand on Blaze shoulder and looked intensely at her.

"Blaze...they kidnapped Silver"

Blaze could feel a heavy hum ring in her mind at that moment. Her eye sight became unfocused, there was a strange, momentous feeling swirling in her body. She felt a sort of poison stab through her body and mind, a great bearing on her mind. It was as if someone had struck her across the head with a heavy lead weight. A baseball bat. Anything, but she knew that she was starting to hurt like hell. She couldn't even cry or scream out in anguish. All she could manage was a cold stare.

"...N-...no..."

At that moment, a guard burst in.

"My king, Field Commander Amadeus has regained consciousness in the infirmaries!" the guard noted.

"Excellent, we must go to him now!" Tinder ordered.

"Amadeus, why him?" Blaze asked as she found herself hurriedly following her father, still in a dazed shock of the news she had just heard.

"He saw the attack. I believe I can tell us what happened to Silver"

Once in the infirmary, where many wounded soldiers and citizens were being treated by whatever staff was on hand to help, they made their way into a secluded room where Amadeus was, sat up on his bed. He was looking bitterly at the bloodied bandages wrapped around the stump where his right hand once was.

"Amadeus...how are you feeling?" Tinder asked as he and Blaze walked in.

"They took my hand..." Amadeus spat bitterly. "...Bastards"

"Tell me what you saw...everything, if you will" Tinder asked. Amadeus looked at Tinder, resting his injury.

"...I was only conscious for a certain amount of time" he explained. "...It was about four in the morning. The garrison was in the middle of night watch, and I was sleeping when one of the guards woke me up and told me that something strange was happening at the front gates of the castle" he explained. "So when I got there...you wouldn't believe what we saw!" he explained.

"What did you see!" Tinder asked in frustration.

"We saw...a giant mothership of some kind floating right in front of the gates!" Amadeus explained. Tinder couldn't believe what he was hearing, but pressed onwards.

"What did it look like?" he asked.

"It...it looked like a great stone spire that was emergin fron the clouds, and it wasn't fully revealed, but I could see ramparts around the base of the spire up high with a drawbridge...it looked like a giant floating castle!" he explained. Both Blaze and Tinder looked on in shock.

"...A floating what?" Tinder said in disbelief.

"A floating castle..." Amadeus repeated, a little quieter, looking at his hand. "It was being held in the air by what looked like big pipes spurting out blue flames..."

"Father, what's he talking about?" Blaze asked.

"...It appears this 'floating castle' must be a mechanical device of some sort, like a mothership. By the description, there must be some form of cutting edge technology involved, and...ngh!" Tinder tutted in frustration. "We can worry about what attacked us later. Tell us what happened next!" Tinder ordered.

"We watched it for a minute, but suddenly, soldiers appeared, falling down from the castle! They seemed unhurt on landing, and they just started attacking us! They were dressed in dark armour and fought with blades and weapons that emnated a strange chill from them, like they had been refrigerated or something!"

"And Silver?" Blaze spurted out suddenly.

"I saw a large brute grab Silver whilst they were fighting and started to run for the castle. I gave chase...that was when I was caught off guard and my hand was severed" Amadeus explained, looking at his stump wrist. "Then, the guy fired something from his arm towards the floating castle, and before I knew it, he just shot up with Silver. He literally vanished, just like the rest of them did a few minutes after!" he explained. Blaze looked down, devastated. She suddenly looked up in a spring of hope.

"Where did the castle go?" she blurted out suddenly.

"I was unconscious not long after Silver was taken" Amadeus explained. "...But reports from the conscious guards say that it just started moving away, rising higher until it had vanished behind the clouds"

Tinder looked down in deep thought.

"...Why Silver? Did they capture anyone else?" Tinder asked. Amadeus shook his head.

"I checked the registers of the guard, only Silver's is missing" he confirmed.

"This is really confusing..." Tinder said quietly to himself. "A great floating castle that spawns guards attacked us, stole Silver and retreated...there are so many questions that need answering..." Tinder thought. "Thank you Amadeus. Rest yourself, we shall handle the rest"

The two walked out of the room and headed back towards the throne room. There was so much in disarray, and the ominous, inexplicable floating castle that plagued Blaze's mind continued to do so for the rest of the day. The images of Silver, his kidnapping and the mysterious floating castle would be burned into Blaze's mind for a very long time in the future...


	3. The Sorrow of a Loving Father

Chapter 3: The Sorrow of a Loving Father

Blaze was in a trance throughout the entirety of the day and the night. The following morning saw her sat beside the throne of the floor, gazing into the distant space, wondering what to do in a fruitless attempt to wish Silver back to her side. She regretted their argument, and the absence was already making her heart rend. She started blankly into the busy furore of the throne room.

It was when the doors slammed open that Blaze snapped out of it. A large figure walked into the room, a famous figure only known to be one man. The Primary Commander of the castle's forces. Wolfgang.

Dressed in his long cape and his heavy battle armour, he gave a short quick bow to Tinder. Elaine was elsewhere, addressing other issues.

"My king, you summoned me" he addressed.

"Wolfgang, I'm sure you're aware of the current affairs going on right now, yes?" Tinder explained.

"Indeed I am" Wolfgang replied. "I was lucky not to be hurt by the invaders as I fought"

"I have a mission for you, and for pressure's sake, I must say that there is a lot riding on this. You are one of the best fighters, if not **the **best fighter we have. The floating castle has kidnapped Silver. I want you to give chase to the castle and I want not only for Silver to be resuced, but a possible shut down of that castle. Is this clear?" he ordered.

"Affirmative. I shall be ready to leave tomorrow morning" Wolfgang replied.

"Very well. You are dismissed..." Tinder said. But before he could pardon Wolfgang, Blaze, who had been listening in on the short exchange, suddenly realised that this was her only chance to ever see Silver again. She stood up at once.

"Wait, father!" she blurted, Tinder turned around to Blaze, a little annoyed.

"What's gotten into you?" he exclaimed suddenly. "You can't burst out like that when I'm in the middle of important negotiations!"

"But you don't understand, you have to let me go with him!" Blaze said suddenly. Tinder fell quiet, and so did Blaze. She started to reconsider what she said but shook her head and went ahead with it; there was no going back on it.

"...I...want to go with Wolfgang to find Silver" she explained.

"Out of the question" Tinder said suddenly.

"But father!" Blaze argued back, but Tinder's eyes and nostrils flared.

"Listen to me" he said in a very angry voice. "You will not, I repeat, NOT be accompanying Wolfgang. It is far too dangerous, and we've already lost someone valuable to us, that we may never see again! I couldn't bear to think of what I would feel if you were to go missing too..." he said quite sadly, right after his little anger flush.

Blaze fell a little quiet. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for her to go.

"...Sir, if I may object" Wolfgang said slowly. "...I believe I am in favour of the accompaniment" he voiced. Tinder looked up slowly, confused towards Wolfgang's decision.

"...Why?" he said quietly. Blaze couldn't really believe what Wolfgang was saying either.

"We haven't had a situation this bad since three years ago, when Gustav was about" he explained. "I could use with a little fire, plus if I do run into any young warriors, her company and presence will make recruiting them a lot easier. Also, should I fall, there is someone who can report the news of my defeat" he explained. "...That is all, milord"

Tinder sat in thought for a minute, before looking at Blaze. His face slowly sunk into his hands in deep thought. It was clear that he was struggling to make a decision. Blaze wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to go anymore, the moment of blurting out her demand had passed, and the reprecussions were coming.

"...Permission granted then. But if there is any danger, Blaze is to return here, do I make myself clear?" Tinder asked, his voice somewhat solemn. Wolfgang gave a salute. Blaze started to smile a little, but stopped when Tinder looked down at Blaze. Seeing her father defeated by the moral choice made her feel scared of what his wrath would incur.

"...Come with me" he said quietly, standing up and walking out of the room. Blaze had no choice but to follow, scared of what was going to unfold between the two in the coming moments.

She soon found herself in the rooms where she trained every day with her father, learning the way of the sword. She watched as Tinder walked to his sword and picked it up from the wall, turning around to Blaze. He looked sad, holding his blade in his hands. Blaze gasped as she realised why it was his sword in his hands.

"...Take this" he said quietly, placing the fine rapier in her hands. It was just as light as her own, plus it looked a lot more effective for battle, unlike her rusty, training sword.

"...Father?" she asked.

"It's going to be dangerous" Tinder said. "I know you're no stranger to adventure. I mean, you were only thirteen when you defeated Gustav, using the Sol Emeralds. You've grown up so much in the last three years..." he added, tears starting to appear in his eyes. Blaze felt a heavy lump developing in her throat as well as she tried to stave off her own tears.

"...Daddy...don't cry" she murmured sorrowfully. Tinder lowered his head, closing his eyes tightly. He then opened them and let a tear fall down his cheek, before he looked at Blaze seriously.

"You're becoming such a beautiful person Blaze" Tinder said. "Please...I'm begging you...whatever you do, don't die. No matter how bleak it gets, never give up. If it's too dangerous, come home...god, what is Elaine going to think?"

The two fell into each other's embrace, crying into each other's shoulders. Their sorrow united as one at that very moment, father and daughter. As they parted, the chnaces that they would never see each other again...was high.

The following morning, it was time. Both Wolfgang and Blaze were sat on Wolfgang's large armoured horse, with Blaze dressed in leather armour. Tinder stood at the drawbridge, giving one last wave to her daughter before the both set off in the search for Silver. Little did they know, the search was going to be arduous, long and painful. And to start it off, there was an imminent disaster about to strike...


	4. Emergency Evacuation

Chapter 4: Emergency Evacuation

Am hour had passed since Wolfgang and Blaze had started their journey. Wolfgang had planned precisely on where to go first, whereas Blaze had no idea where they were going. She felt it was only natural to ask.

"Er...Wolfgang, where are we going?" she asked.

"We're heading for Volstead" Wolfgang explained. "To stock up on supplies. As you can see, we're quite short"

"What's the plan for trying to find Silver?" Blaze asked. Wolfgang was quiet for a minute before explaining his plan.

"As I'm sure you're aware, there are other castles and cities in the land. King Tinder works closely with the monarchs of these cities in order to maintain a healthy balance when it comes to things like money and the environment" he explained. "Recently, we lost contact with one of the kings. His name was King Marcelino"

Blaze could just about remember the name. It was spoken one night during dinner when Tinder was formulating a plan about how he would attempt to heal the shattered economy of Zanskar after Gustav's money sapping regime was stopped.

"Why did he disappear?" Blaze asked.

"He disappeared a few weeks ago" Wolfgang continued. "Plus, the city in which he reigned, named Laleh, has also fallen under attack recently. I think there may be a link between Silver's kidnapping, King Marcelino's dissappearance and the attack on Laleh, so my plan is we head there and see what we can learn. We'll also be stopping in other areas and see whether they could help us"

"But how will we find it if it keeps moving around?" Blaze asked.

"I figured it can't stay in the air forever. You'll have to forgive me Blaze, but this will be a long trail of our emotions and our strength. Not only do we have to save Silver, if he even survives, but we also have to put that floating castle out of operation before it can cause any more damage, and bring justice to the person behind this all. Even if it takes years, it is my duty to get it done"

Blaze looked to her side, watching as the empty plains rolled by as they travelled.

"I guess this was the kind of duty Silver was talking about..." she murmured to herself.

Another hour passed. Blaze looked past Wolfgang and saw Volstead in front of her. She remembered Volstead as being the place of rest and recovery during her adventure three years ago. It was where her love for Silver really blossomed as they teamed together to defeat Gustav and save the world from his tyrannical reign.

"Ah, I haven't visited this town in a long time..." Wolfgang said quietly to himself. "I wonder how my men are doing at the Volstead Inn..."

But something was amiss. Blaze had been paying particular attention to the sky, which was getting cloudier and cloudier by the minute. At first she saw it as normal, it was going to rain and they would have to just have to put up with it until they had better cloaks to fend off the rain. But as the clouds converged, the sky started to darken, and from all around them, a strange humming noise was emitting.

Blaze lifted her head when he realised that they were enshrouded by this noise.

"Wolfgang...can you hear that?" Blaze asked.

"Hear what, princess?" Wolfgang asked back.

"The noise around us...the humming" she explained.

"I can't hear it. Maybe my age is getting to my ears" Wolfgang answered.

"Well, the sky's getting awfully cloudy and dark...and I can hear a humming noise" Blaze mentioned. "Come to think of it, it's getting stronger..."

"...I can hear it..." Wolfgang responded quietly. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright and commanded his horse to gallop as fast as possible. Blaze almost fell off from the sudden shock, grabbing onto Wolfgang to ensure she didn't fall off completely.

"What are you doing, slow down!" Blaze shouted. The humming was becoming more intense, like a gigantic bee's buzz. But Wolfgang galloped even faster towards the town of Volstead.

"I recognize the humming..." he said. "It belongs to...oh my..."

Blaze watched as Wolfgang's head craned up towards the sky. She too decided to look up and got a nasty surprise at what she saw...

It looked like a giant, earthy spire piercing through the thick blanket of clouds. The humming noise seemed to be coming from this great earth spire that slowly descended from the sky. Wolfgang gasped as his fears were confirmed. He raced faster than ever, much to Blaze's confusion. She was shocked that such a strange sight was emerging from the sky, but she didn't know what exactly it was. Was it a meteor? Maybe a fragment of the moon had fallen off and descended upon the land. But what was most frightening was the fact that the spire was hovering right above Volstead.

"Wolfgang, what is that thing!" she shouted amidst the rising winds and the drizzle.

"The floating castle" Wolfgang said abruptly. Blaze then shot her gaze back up to the spire and gasped.

"...That's the castle?" she bellowed in the noise. The castle started to reveal itself, sat upon the great stone spire, with many tiny pipelines and scaffolding, platforms and the like surrounding the spire. There were also giant cylinders emitting blue flames coming from the spire, having newly been revealed by the castle's descent.

Wolfgang then looked back down towards Volstead. "We've arrived..." he said quietly to himself as they galloped into town.

Within the town of Volstead, the townspeople were in a panic at what was happening. Some of them had shut themselves in their houses whilst others were preparing to flee. Wolfgang cleared his voice as soon as he gained entry.

"Everybody, you must evacuate this town at once!" he ordered. He rode his horse up to the Volstead Inn.

"Men!" he shouted.

Suddenly, out of the front door, armoured guards started to run out, in awe of who was calling them.

"Captain Wolfgang!" one of the greeted. Blaze remembered the guards as Wolfgang's unit. The same soldiers that were once out to kill her before Silver defeated Wolfgang in a duel, earning his trust and alliance.

"There is no time for formalities, gather the horses and start evacuating people at once!" he ordered.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake even more as the humming noise suddenly turned into a mechanical, high pitched sound from the air. Everybody looked up to see the rock formations on the spire slowly moving upwards, sliding atop and across each other, revealing a sight that would almost stop Blaze's heart. For unravelling above them, revealing itself from the camouflage, was a great silver laser cannon.

At once, Wolfgang and his men started to warn everyone to evacuate, and not to hide in the doomed town. The guards took as many as they could hold onto their horses, whilst the rest abandoned what possessions they could carry and flee. The giant laser cannon started to charge, a blue aura enveloping the entire contraption. At once, everybody in the town started to flee, whether they were on horseback, or all they could do was run. The entire town was hidden beneath the imposing shadow of the flying castle as the beam was about to fire.

Blaze and Wolfgang were riding with their backs to Volstead when they heard an extremely high pitched sound, accompanied shortly by a thunderous crash. The explosive sound behind them almost caused Blaze to go deaf. Her senses were all knocked out at once by the destructive roar of the beam, and as she looked back, she felt her heart stop in agony as she saw a great blue beam crashing down onto the town, enveloping it in a foggy, fiery explosion. The laser, within seconds of firing, diminished and faded into nothing. The dust and debris setlled, revealing the ruins of once a thriving town.


	5. Pressing On

Chapter 5: Pressing On

They looked at the distance towards where Volstead used to stand. Wolfgang and his men had managed to evacuate about twenty heart-broken people. The fates of the rest were unknown. The castle in the sky had retreated above the clouds and the sky had returned to normal. Frustration grew amongst the group; Blaze was as distraught as the rest of the group, unable to believe just moments in her adventure, she had witnessed such a horrible act.

Amidst the group, Wolfgang was giving orders.

"We have to face facts, Volstead is gone" he said, looking over. A chilly reminder was left behind in the ruins, which took form in large crystals of ice that were scattered. The group had gathered that the beam was of an icy element, having frosted over the destroyed ruins of the town that once was.

Wolfgang turned back to his men. "I want you all to head back to the castle. Your allegiance with the king is reinstated by my word as from this moment on. We can no longer consider this a small mission. Your duty is to take these refugees to safety within the castle walls and await orders from the king, do I stand corrected?" he explained. All the guards saluted Wolfgang, shouting "Yes sir" in unison. They then gathered the survivors of the attack and planted them on their horses, before riding them back towards the direction of the castle. Blaze watched them go sorrowfully, before turning to Wolfgang.

"Those poor people..." she said quietly.

"They are very strong" Wolfgang responded. "I have seen cases in my life where refugees become insane with grief. They have kept their control, therefore I tip my hat to each and every one of them" he noted.

"Volstead is completely destroyed...all the memories of the past, just gone" she said, clicking her fingers.

"This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought, Blaze. I hoped we wouldn't have to run into such catastrophes...I should have never convinced your father to let you come along..."

"No, Wolfgang, it was my decision" Blaze interrupted. Wolfgang turned his head slightly to look at Blaze behind her, both still sat on his horse.

"Blaze?" he asked.

"I know you suggested the idea, but he swatted it down until I spoke up" Blaze explained. "...I wasn't expecting this kind of destruction so early on...you weren't lying when you said it would be hard. But we can't just give up and go home now; we have to stop that castle! And Silver..." she said quietly.

"...Silver will survive" Wolfgang said confidently. "They could have killed him during the attack, but they didn't. They need him for something, for whatever purpose, so they wouldn't kill him. And if we can uncover their plan, and discover Silver's importance in all of this, the attacks, and maybe even the disappearance of King Marcelino...then we can put a stop to it. Just remember, you stopped your deranged granduncle from ruling the world by yourself, with Silver in tow, of course. All we need to do is believe" Wolfgang spoke.

"...Spoken like a true knight" Blaze commented quietly, taken aback by the speech. "...If that's the case, then where do we go now?"

"To the town of Carachino" Wolfgang explained. "East of here, it was to be our next destination after Volstead, but now, we head there at once. Let's just hope that that's the last we'll see of that castle for some time..."

With that said, Wolfgang turned his horse and they turned to head for Carachino.

**Yo guys, I have a little bad news. Recently, my laptop has fallen victim to a slew of viruses, so for the safety of any of my online accounts and e-mails, I cannot use my laptop to post these chapters, forcing me to use my house computer. This means that I might not be able to stick to the chapter every two days schedule that I had originally planned. Fear not though, for I am still writing this story and I promise that it will all be up and completed. It might just take a little time, that's all. Thank you for your patience.**


	6. Warrior and Blacksmith

Chapter 6: Warrior and Blacksmith

It was nightfall when Blaze and Wolfgang arrived at Carachino. It was much like Volstead, but smaller, and somewhat poorer in appearance. Every building was either a wooden shack or a small hut, the biggest building being a rather small inn. Some houses looked like open barns, where work tools and such lay inside. But in all, it looked rather peaceful.

"This is Carachino" Wolfgang declared, looking at his map.

"This place is kinda small, isn't it?" Blaze noted.

"It's small, but the community is very well constructed" Wolfgang explained. "It used to be bigger, but Gustav's tax enforcement laws hit this place hard. It has diminished their appearance and wealth, but the spirits of the people here have increased tenfold" he continued.

"You mean everyone's working with each other to survive?" Blaze suggested.

"In a way" Wolfgang answered. "Tinder is trying to change this town so that it becomes less of a 'do or die' community, but you can see through all these open shops, barns and workplaces that people trust each other very well. Theft is a capital offence here, may I add" he explained.

"Creepy" Blaze said quietly, shuddering at the thought of death as Wolfgang guided his horse towards the inn.

The following morning, the two were inside the inn, eating porridge. As they did, they discussed their plans.

"So, where to from here?" Blaze asked.

"We need to ask around and see whether the floating castle has made an appearance here or not" Wolfgang explained. "If we can recruit anyone who can help us with our cause, then that would be good"

Blaze finished her porridge and stood up.

"Then let's not waste time" she declared.

They exited the inn, with Wolfgang leading his horse by the saddle, and started to look around. The community seemed to be working hard all around them, selling their wares at shops, or working inside the open barns, creating masses of different things that would aid their community. Blaze turned her head towards the sound of clashing metal to see a blacksmith working at a sword. He looked very young, with two dirty orange tails spouting from beneath his coat. Blaze looked back towards Wolfgang, who seemed just as lost as she did.

"...I kinda feel out of place here" Blaze said quietly. "Everyone's working"

"Indeed" Wolfgang remarked. "I feel quite uncomfortable interrupting them. Maybe we should be looking for more idle areas to recruit"

"You're saying we should go?" Blaze asked. Wolfgang climbed up onto his horse and gestured for Blaze to do the same.

"Come along, let's go" he gestured.

Just at that moment, Blaze heard the voice of a young boy behind her.

"Wait, don't go!"

She turned around to see the young blacksmith, with his mask still on, running right towards the horse in amazement. At once, he started to examine the metal plates on the horse. Wolfgang frowned at the boy's appearance.

"Wow..." the boy said. "This is Ixion steel, isn't it?" he asked.

"I'm sorry young chap, but we have pressing matters to attend to. Come, Blaze" Wolfgang grunted. He obviously didn't want to be held behind. Blaze started to climb up the horse, but the boy protested.

"No, don't go just yet!" he begged. "Please, you have to tell me where you got this from!" he asked. Wolfgang became extremely impatient.

"We haven't the time, so enough of it, boy!" he shouted. At that moment, another voice came from the barn where the blacksmith boy worked.

"Milos!" the voice shouted. "What are you doing? Get back here!"

Blaze turned around and saw a muscled red figure walking towards them. He wore a helmet that concealed his eyes behind slits of metal. He was wearing gauntlets and metal boots, plus a pair of leggings, but that was all. His gauntlets had small spikes on the knuckles.

"But Stamatis!" the boy moaned. "I'll never get the chance to see this kind of steel again! Just imagine what I could make if I had some of it!"

"Pack it in, Milos" the man commanded. The boy to whom the man named Milos submitted with a groan. He then looked up towards Wolfgang and Blaze, who was still halfway up climbing the horse.

"Please accept my apologies, Milos is still young and gets kinda excited about things he's heard about but never seen before" the man explained. Blaze, who was interested by this duo, stepped down from the horse.

"...Stamatis...correct?" she asked. She then extended her hand. "My name is Blaze. It's nice to meet you" Wolfgang was confused with Blaze's behaviour and jumped off the horse, landing next to her as she shook Stamatis's hand.

"Blaze, what are you doing?" Wolfgang asked.

"Please ignore my friend, he can get quite hot headed sometimes when his timings aren't precisely correct" Blaze explained.

"What!" Wolfgang exclaimed. "Me, hot headed? Why the audacity of it all!" Wolfgang then decsneded into a cursing grumble has Blaze continued.

"Wolfgang, please shake hands with Stamatis and...Milos, is that correct?" Blaze asked, looking at the small boy. The boy pulled his mask off, revealing a young, innocent face, devoid of dirt unlike the rest of his orange and white body. He smiled and extended a hand to Wolfgang, who reluctantly shook it.

"You look like travellers" Stamatis guessed, to which Blaze nodded. "Are you headed anywhere special?"

"We're going to Laleh" Wolfgang cut in, before Blaze could answer the question. "Investigating the floating castle. Have you heard about it?"

Milos nodded whilst Stamatis turned to him.

"He's heard about it. He keeps telling me, but I don't get it, frankly" Stamatis explained. "Break a leg, Milos"

"Isn't that castle connected with Marcelino's disappearance?" he asked.

"Yes, it is" Blaze replied. "How did you know?"

Blaze then watched as Milos's tails started to spin rapidly. Swiftly, Milos lifted from the ground, floating in the air in front of Blaze, being kept in the air by his helicopter blade-esque tails.

"I can go quite far and fast by flying" Milos explained. "Come into the barn, me and Stamatis will tell you all about us and stuff"

They watched as both Milos and Stamatis headed into the barn where they were working. Wolfgang turned to Blaze as soon as they were out of their line of sight.

"Did you really have to embarrass me in front of them?" Wolfgang asked. "Hot-headed, hah! Why I'd never even consider myself even the slightest impatient, never mind 'hot headed'"

"Look, these guys know about the floating castle. This place does have people who we can talk to" Blaze noted.

"We cannot reveal our true identities" Wolfgang explained. "If we do, it may cause any of our allies to be mere distractions. So if anyone asks, I'm your father, and we're a father-daughter detective duo investigating the floating castle, correct?" he explained. Blaze nodded in response, before the two turned around and walked into the barn.

**As you may have guessed, both Milos and Stamatis bear a striking resemblance to Tails and Knuckles? Well that's who they're supposed to be. I decided that I didn't want too many original characters coming into play here, so I decided to put in a bit of Sonic and the Black Knight style character appearances and such. Milos kinda sound like Miles, which is Tails's real name, and Stamatis is just a random Greek name, because the Greek word for 'knuckles' was far too complicated for me to continuously repeat throughout the story. Hope you're enjoying it so far!**


	7. New Allies

Chapter 7: New Allies

"So, tell us everything you know about the floating castle and about yourselves" Wolfgang asked. With a pot of tea cupped in both his hands, Milos took a deep breath and started to explain.

"My name is Milos, and Stamatis is my big brother" he explained, pointing at Stamatis. "I'm a blacksmith, I make things like swords and shields and armour and stuff. Stamatis is a fighter; he fights a lot and competes in local tournaments to get some money in for us. He's a really good fighter; I make his armour and weapons!"

"What about your parents?" Blaze asked.

"Mother and Father have left" Stamatis explained. "We were a poor family, so a few years ago, our parents tried to steal from a shop. They were caught and were supposed to be executed, but they escaped the jail and left town. They can never come back. So Milos here looked at my father's smithy books, and before long, he became a blacksmith, just like our father. He's pretty good at it too..." he said, rubbing Milos's head.

"And you're a fighter?" Blaze asked Stamatis.

"That's right" he answered. "Like Milos said, he makes my armour and weapons, and I fight for money. It's a pretty harsh sounding life, but the fights I do don't involve killing. Local tournaments and stuff like that; the most you can do is injure someone. First blood and all that" he explained. "Now Milos, tell them what you heard about the floating castle"

"Will do!" Milos answered, finishing his pot of tea. "I go to different cities with materials to trade. Sometimes I don't get lucky, and sometimes I can usually barter for rare material to make stuff with. Anyway, I was in Laleh, doing my thing, when I overheard some guys talking about a floating castle" he explained.

"What did they say?" Blaze asked Milos.

"Uh..." Milos groaned, rubbing his head. "I can't remember it all, but they were talking about how King Marcelino took trips outside the city walls. One day, he never returned" he explained.

"So it wasn't a kidnapping?" Wolfgang asked. "What about the flying castle?"

"The guys were saying about how there was a huge storm that night, and before the sun could rise, they were attacked by a giant flying castle!" Milos told, waving his hands in the air for emphasis. Wolfgang leant in towards Blaze.

"It's just like what happened to us" he explained. "Is that all, young man?"

"Um...yeah, that's all I can remember, sorry" he said, looking a little guilty.

"That was good, Milos" Stamatis congratulated. "So you guys are investigating the same flying castle, right?" Blaze gave a nod.

"The castle...I mean, I live in Zanskar Castle City, the capital city of the world" she explained. "And our city fell under attack by a floating castle as well"

"We decided to investigate" Wolfgang explained. "Me and my daughter here decided to go to Volstead, but the castle came back and revealed a giant cannon, which fired an ice beam that destroyed the town completely" Wolfgang explained. The pair winced at Wolfgang's story, digesting the image of complete annihilation.

"That's awful" Milos said quietly. Wolfgang nodded, patting his quiet horse.

"So we need to find a way to stop that castle from causing any more destruction. One of our friends was captured by the castle as well, so we're trying to rescue him..."

Both Stamatis and Milos huddled close together and started whispering into each other's ears. Blaze looked in confusion as they consulted each other, before they turned to her.

"...We ask you permission to accompany you" Stamatis asked. Wolfgang looked at the two of them with concern.

"I appreciate it, but this is very dangerous. I haven't seen you fight...and the young boy could be hurt" he explained.

"Nah, it's okay!" Milos interrupted, jumping. "Me and Stamatis make a great team, and we'd love to help you out! Stamatis wins all the local tournaments, plus I can be of some help, gimme the right materials and I can make you some new armour, or fix old weapons and such!" he explained with enthusiasm.

Wolfgang turned towards Blaze.

"...They seem to know the risks. It's your decision"

"...We'll let them join, but they should know the truth"

"Very well, milady"

Blaze turned to the two. "Close those barn doors. We must share with you a secret..."

As they closed the barn doors, Blaze went ahead and revealed their true identities and a princess and a royal knight and commander of Zanskar's forces. Both Milo and Stamatis were shocked, but Blaze made them swear an oath of truth and secrecy between the four of them, to which they agreed. They explained about Silver's job as a guard in Zanskar Castle, with Blaze keeping Silver's personal business with Blaze a secret.

"...So you'll be coming along with us, but what are you going to travel in?" Wolfgang asked as their alliance was accepted.

"Milos, go and fetch the wheelbarrow" Stamatis ordered, to which Milos nodded and flew into the air towards a pile of hay. He used his tails to whip the hay away, revealing a large, wooden wheelbarrow. Milos then continued to attack leather reins to the handles of the large wheelbarrow, before pulling it out for show.

"If we could attach this to your horse, I can carry a portable workshop with me on the barrow, plus myself and Stamatis. Is this okay?" Milos asked.

"I suppose it will have to do. I may teach you how to ride horses, so we can buy one when we can and lighten my horse's load" Wolfgang explained.

So they attached the wheelbarrow to the large armoured horse and they set off, leaving Carachino. They were headed for the general direction of a seaside town named Badon, where they could rest. But little did they know, as they started their long journey, trouble was brewing up in the air...


	8. The Villains in the Sky

Different sized texts denote different people talking, for instance: Normal = Person 1 _Italics = Person 2 _**Bold = Person 3**

Chapter 8: The Villains in the Sky

"So far, our plan is working rather well. Isn't it, Delago?"

_"Swimmingly, my lord"_

"Tell me, how goes our little friend that we seized from the castle?"

_"He's regained consciousness. The starvation process has begun"_

"Excellent news. Remind me, how many days must we drain his soul before the time is right?"

_"Twenty one days sir. Today is day four"_

"Good"

_"But why can't we seize it now? Surely with its divine strength, we can crush any fool that opposes us?"_

"We must wait. If we steal it too early, we'll leave behind marks. Right now, our whereabouts are unknown and the secret of this castle is well guarded. If we were to give away our position before the specimen's soul is completely drained, our plans can easily be foiled, and this castle will be yet another of my failures"

_"You failed before, my lord?"_

"Yes...But now, I have a lot more to my advantage. When that hedgehog's soul is drained, Delago, we shall steal the artefact. Then, the final stages of our plan can be put into action..."

_"Yes...I was foolish to suggest an alternative plan. Yours is truly magnificent"_

"Thank you, Delago. Do me a favour, will you?"

_"Yes, my lord?"_

"The king...bring him to me..."

_"Of course, my lord"_

"...Branko! I summon you"

**"What is it, my lord?"**

"I have ascertained the whereabouts of our friends. They have just left Carachino and are attempting to reach Badon. Our castle is due to intercept their path. I want you to go down to the fields below and beat them about for a bit. Slow them down, if you know what I mean"

**"Heh heh heh...oh, I know EXACTLY what you mean, sir..."**

"Then I trust you will succeed in your task?"

**"Leave them to me, my lord! I'll knock the stuffing out of them!"**

"Excellent. Then go down to the dispatch bays and prepare yourself to go. When you're done, give the signal to leave the battlefield"

**"Heh, thanks, sir..."**

"Everything is falling into place. For now, we must buy time for the victim's soul to drain. Then, I will have my revenge..."


	9. Ambush

Chapter 9: Ambush

The group as a four had been riding for the entirety of the morning, edging closer to Badon. Upon inspecting a map the previous night, they decided that in order to reach Laleh, the easiest route would be to cross the Badon Sea, which to either side sat tall, treacherous and impassable mountains. Upon crossing the sea, they would have been roughly half way towards Laleh.

They were riding at a slower pace than usual, due to the horse's extra carriage of a wheelbarrow that contained Stamatis, Milos and his tools. Still, Wolfgang was happy enough at the speed they were going. He was beginning to appreciate the open plains a lot more, examining deeply the rolling winds against the soft, lush grass. The sky was greyer, unlike back at Zanskar Castle, but they paid little mind to it. Little did they realise, the sky was darkening with thickening clouds.

As they travelled, Blaze was sat with her back turned towards Wolfgang and facing the other two.

"It must be quite scary for you to be out here, huh?" Stamatis noted, looking at Blaze. "I mean, wearing leather armour instead of your usual attire, and roughing it out here in the plains? It's not ordinary for you, is it?"

"I suppose it's different from my usual life at the castle" she explained.

"Must be real awesome being royal and all that..." Milos said quietly. His gaze didn't exactly meet Blaze's when he asked, which was a little confusing for Blaze.

"Well..." she said quietly. "It's alright, I guess. But being a princess isn't an easy life. I mean, there are duties. If you're lazy, then a lot of the folk start to think quite badly of you, you know" she explained.

Whilst they talked, Wolfgang kept his eyes towards the sky. There was something strange happening, and it certainly was familiar. The sky was becoming slightly darker, and in addition, there was a humming noise enveloping them. It felt all too familiar to Wolfgang, who tried to remember where he had seen this before. Suddenly, it hit him.

It was the castle.

"Blaze...prepare yourself" he said. Blaze turned her head towards Wolfgang, having been suddenly pulled from her conversation.

"What?" she asked.

"The castle is floating above us" he said quickly, stopping his horse still. Stamatis and Milos suddenly noticed their halt and looked towards Wolfgang.

"You mean, the floating castle?" Milos asked with concern.

"What other floating castle is there?" Stamatis replied sarcastically, waving his hands in the air towards Milos. Wolfgang was inspecting the darkening clouds. They stood there for five minutes, listening as the humming noise only reached a certain level of noise. The clouds also darkened to a certain extent.

Wolfgang jumped off his horse and took a few steps forward.

"The castle...it hasn't emerged yet" he noted. "What are they planning?" The remainder of the group disembarked and walked up towards Wolfgang.

"What's happening, Wolfgang?" Blaze asked.

"I'm not sure" Wolfgang replied swiftly. "The castle has yet to appear. Judging by the sounds and these clouds...they're remaining still above us..."

"What if it's just a storm?" Milos suggested. Blaze turned around to Milos.

"We've seen the castle emerging before" she said. "It destroyed a town very close to us. The sounds the castle emitted and the appearance of these clouds are identical to what we're seeing and hearing now" she explained.

"This is suspicious...should we just move on while we can?" Stamatis suggested. Wolfgang remained still for a minute before speaking.

"...No" he replied. "We wait for it to move. Then, we could attempt to follow it..."

Suddenly, there was a short, sharp sound in the air and a tiny section of the clouds parted as a figure emerged from above. Wolfgang quickly drew his sword.

"Get back!" he shouted.

The figure suddenly landed on the floor with a thud. The group looked at the figure, still on his feet, squatted. The figure started to stand, revealing a tall dog-like creature with a muscled chest and arms, all bare, with a pair of trousers made from wrapped tape and bandages on his feet and ankles. On one of his arms was a silver bracelet which was separated into bands. His face was one filled with malice, a threatening scar covering one of his eyes and sharp, slightly yellow teeth. His ears were pricked up, as if he were the image of Anubis.

There was a short silence, where the wolf figure stood before the group, unmoving. Wolfgang was the first to step up.

"...State your name and title, sir" he asked. The figure remained completely still, a devilish smile plastered on his face, revealing his yellowing yet straight teeth.

"Wolfgang...is he from the floating castle?" Blaze whispered to him, her hand placed firmly on the hilt of her sheathed blade.

"...I asked for your name and title!" Wolfgang shouted. It was then the figure started to laugh quietly. He folded his arms, lifting his head slightly, examining the team in front of him.

"...Scared little bunch, aren't you?" he remarked. Wolfgang then threateningly stood forward with his blade out.

"I wouldn't try it" Wolfgang said back. "If you plan on fighting us, you're outnumbered"

The wolf like figure laughed again.

"My name is Branko" he revealed. "I am a member of the Caelus Guard"

Blaze suddenly drew her rapier and outstretched it in a similar manner to Wolfgang. Milos looked in awe at Blaze's rapier, which was shiny and embedded with a few jewels at the hilt.

"Wow..." he said quietly. Stamatis, who had been quietly watching, noticed Milos's remark and turned around.

"Hide behind the horse" he said. "We'll take care of this" Obediently, he nodded, running behind the horse. Stamatis then walked to the other side of Wolfgang, the trio confronting Branko.

"I have been sent here to slow you down a little..." Branko explained. "Of course, it would be easy for you to attack me as a trio. But may I remind you that you are beneath a floating castle, which can easily prime a laser and destroy you where you stand..." he said mockingly, laughing a little after his revelation.

"We can see through your bluff" Blaze taunted.

"Oh really?" Branko remarked. "Well why don't you stand by your word and attack me?"

Blaze took a step forward, but was blocked by Wolfgang's hand.

"Don't" he ordered. "He could be telling the truth. We know little about that castle, for all we know, it could be primed to fire"

"True...so what do we do?" Blaze asked.

"He's unarmed. I'll take him on" Stamatis declared, taking a few steps forward.

"Stamatis?" Wolfgang asked. Stamatis turned around.

"I can show you what I'm capable of, this guy is mine" Stamatis replied. He then turned back towards Branko, who had unfolded his arms, flexing his muscles.

"I see the three of you have brains" Branko taunted. "I'm going to enjoy this..."

"Same here..." Stamatis replied, punching the air in front of him, ready to fight. The two of them squared off, the first battle of the adventure about to begin!


	10. Fist Fight

Chapter 10: Fist Fight

At once, Branko shot out with a fist that Stamatis just managed to dodge. Stamatis shot back out with a punch, but also missed. Branko quickly turned and yelled throwing another punch. Stamatis quickly raised his arm, blocking the punch, before lashing with his left arm, to which Branko moved his blocked fist and proceeded to grab Stamatis's arm. Yelling, he tugged at Stamatis, lifting him into the air, slinging him over his body and throwing him to the ground, letting go.

Stamatis felt the thud against his head as he landed. Opening his eyes, she saw Branko getting ready the strike him in the face. He quickly rolled, watching Branko's fist hit the floor in front of his eyes. Jumping back up, he raised his leg for a high kick, to which Branko blocked with his free arm. The two then faced off each other.

"Not bad!" Branko remarked. "For a peasant from Carachino"

"How did you know?" Stamatis replied, not taking his eyes from Branko. Branko started to chuckle.

"We can see everything from up above in the great floating castle" he said, putting emphasis on the floating castle.

"You've been tailing us?" Stamatis replied.

"Tailing you? We have better things to do than chase wandering strays such as yourselves" Branko spat back. Suddenly, Stamatis struck Branko right in his jaw with a right hand, following with a hit in the same area with a right kick, causing Branko to fall back a little. Stamatis pulled his arm back and went to slug Branko across his face, but Branko regained his balance and caught Stamatis's hand, striking him with a knee to the face. Still holding on to Stamatis, he pulled him in and grabbed him from behind around the throat with his arms, starting to choke him. He began to taunt Stamatis.

"Is that all you got?" he taunted. "You got any more moves you want to show me?"

Stamatis felt the crushing grip squeezing the life out of him. He realised how strong Branko was with his deadly grip and knew only one way of escaping the grip. With his leg, he brought it back in between Branko's open legs, thudding him where it mattered.

Branko grunted and suddenly loosened his grip; enough for Stamatis to break out of it. As he turned around, Branko had regained his composure and went for a roundhouse kick. Stamatis ducked it and replied with one of his own, to which Branko avoided by leaning back. With his fists out, he went for two punches on Stamatis which missed. Stamatis jumped and kicked Branko in his face, making him reel back in pain.

"How's that for a new move?" Stamatis taunted. He heard Branko growl, wiping the blood that seeped through his gums from his mouth.

"Cocky little..." he grunted. "I'll teach you a lesson!"

He ran at Stamatis, who in return threw a punch at him. Branko stopped in time to dodge the punch, before ducking a second punch and grabbing Stamatis's arm at the third punch. He twisted it behind Stamatis's back, causing him to yell in pain, before forcing him to bend down. He then kneed Stamatis in the face once, ceasing his yell with a grunt of pain. His second knee connected, but at his third, he felt Stamatis's strength pulling his arm back. Stamatis stood up straight, arm still in hold, dodging Branko's knee, causing him to lose balance. He then spun, reversing the twist on his arm, before gripping the arm that held him and forcing Branko over his shoulder and to the floor. Upon landing, Stamatis took a few steps back, waiting for Branko to stand up.

"Had enough yet?" Stamatis taunted as Branko got up, clutching his arm. Branko let out a hoarse laugh.

"It is you who is bluffing now" he replied. "I can already see your eye is squinted. There'll be a lovely black eye there tomorrow..."

Stamatis jumped from side to side, edging closer to the somewhat still Branko. As Stamatis found himself close enough, he continued his jumping until Branko went to punch for Stamatis, in which he missed and was struck back in his face by the swift Stamatis. He growled, falling back a little, but managed to strike Stamatis in the stomach with a mighty kick, doubling him over. Stamatis yelled in pain upon being kicked, and felt another kick in his stomach, which was just as hard. He strained himself to look up, to which he was met by a foot to the side of his jaw, toppling him to the floor.

Stamatis's face was throbbing in pain from the kick, but he could feel Branko's large hand squeezing his face in a degrading way, forcing him to his feet before he could regain his composure. He watched as Branko brought his fist back, ready to strike him in the face yet again. But as Branko threw his punch, Stamatis pulled his face from the grip and dodged the punch. Then, like a professional athlete, he raised his right leg high enough to strike Branko at the back of his head, causing him to fall forward. Turning around, he was met by a flurry of punches to his stomach by Stamatis. Too stunned to react, Branko stood sluggishly, taking the hits, whilst Stamatis followed with a skin tearing scratch to his chest, before a strong right hand to his gut. Exhaling deeply from being winded, Branko threw a sluggish punch to which Stamatis ducked with ease. Standing behind him now, Stamatis clutched Branko's sides with his arms and with all his might, lifted the heavy wolf warrior into the air and brought him down on his back, slamming him on the floor. He yelled in pain as he hit the floor, before Stamatis took a few steps back and watched as Branko struggled to his feet.

He was angry. The look on Branko's face could kill as he stood back to his feet, his chest starting to bleed from the scratch. Stamatis was panting, still a little surprised how he managed the lift the guy. His arms ached and his face was still throbbing from the fist fight.

"...You still want...a piece of me?" Stamatis taunted, hopping on one foot to another to display his agility. But instead, Branko took a hand to his back and revealed a knife.

"You've messed me about long enough!" he shouted. "I'll kill you here and now!"

Stamatis watched in unexpected shock as Branko rushed at him with the large knife in his hand. He could only lean back and try to resist the coming force, closing his eyes and hoping for a saviour.

There was the sound of clashing metal and an object flying through the air, landing quite far away. Stamatis opened his eyes to see Branko in some shock, backing away from the blade of a rapier, held by none other than Blaze. Wolfgang rushed next to Stamatis with his great sword in hand.

"We told you, Branko" Blaze shouted. "You're outnumbered!"

"You can't even fight with honour; you resort to dirty tactics for victory? That's just pathetic" Wolfgang taunted. Milos was standing next to Stamatis, a little scared of Branko's fierce appearance.

Branko backed off a certain distance away, before spitting blood onto the floor.

"I suppose you win for now" he admitted. "I've done what I have to do, and that is ascertaining your strength. You're a pretty good fighter, but fists won't get you further than you think"

"Keep dreaming!" Stamatis shouted at Branko. "I can use a sword too! Don't think for a second that the knife tactic will work next time!"

Branko started to snigger. "Yes...I know what to expect next time. And as for trying to stop us, you should give up while you still can. We know you're investigating our floating castle and our scheme. We're dangerous territory, so tread carefully..." he warned.

"What's he talking about?" Milos asked.

"He's just trying to intimidate us" Wolfgang replied. "As all villains do. As long as we have this victory, and keep achieving victory, there's little we need to worry about"

Branko started to speak into his silver bracelet, which started to shine. He then threw his arm into the air, which fired a blue beam into the darkened sky. He stood there for a second, before he was suddenly tugged into the sky, vanishing within seconds. Within minutes, the sound of the castle vanished and the skies returned to normal.

Boarding back on the horse, the group continued to make their way towards Badon. They knew that the next obstacle for them would be the Badon Sea, in which crossing it would give them passage to Laleh...


	11. A Moment in the Night

Chapter 11: A Moment in the Night

"You look a mess, Branko. How did you let them cause so much damage to you?"

**"Don't worry sir, I let them. I wanted to see how strong they were"**

"So you weren't trying your best?"

**"Correct, sir. Next time, I'll be giving them more than they can chew, that's for sure"**

"Hmm...I'll trust your story for now. You are dismissed. Delago!"

_"Yes, my liege?"_

"Have you ascertained that the rabble is headed for Laleh?"

_"The only way to Laleh is through the Badon Sea, my lord. The only other way to Laleh is through crossing the mountains that surround the sea, which is very treacherous and a lot more time consuming. I can't see why they would want to travel the mountains when they can just go by sea"_

"Indeed. We shall keep a close eye on them, just in case. Now tell me, how much time is remaining until the laser is ready to fire again?"

_"The laser will be ready to fire in two days time. My guess is you will want me to confront them at sea?"_

"Indeed. Branko was unarmed, so he must have gotten into hand-to-hand combat. It proves little. With your abilities, I'm sure you can put them to the test"

_"I look forward to it, my lord"_

"Good. And now...you..."

The night had arrived. The group decided to pitch up camp in a small indentation on a cliff side. It was deep in the night and the entire group were sleeping...except for Blaze.

She sat upright, her arms huddled around her legs, looking out past the opening to the tent she had to herself due to her gender. She watched the rolling green plains, illuminated by the full moon that sat in the partly cloudy night sky. Her head was full of thoughts, thoughts of Silver. It had been almost a week, but it already started to feel like so much longer. She rested her head on her knees, sighing.

"...Silver..." she kept whispering to herself. Just the sound of his name made her feel lonely. Not even the company that she was with now could ease her growing pain. What made things worse was the possibility that Silver was dead. There hadn't been any signs of him, and Branko didn't even give him a passing mention. Why did it have to be him, she thought? What did he do to deserve such suffering? She turned around, facing her back to the entrance of the tent, placing her head in her hands. She couldn't stop sighing; she hoped that exhaling would somehow lessen the pressure that was on her. But it didn't.

Suddenly, there was a rustle behind her. Her thoughts shattered as she turned around to see what was causing the noise. It was Milos, who had woken up, looking at Blaze through the entrance of her tent.

"...Why are you awake?" he asked suddenly. Blaze sighed and looked down, her initially surprised reaction slowly turning to one of sadness.

"It's nothing...I just have a lot on my mind" she said quietly.

"Like what?" Milos asked, sitting down at the entrance. Blaze was silent for a little before she looked up at the young boy. She felt angry that she was being disturbed, but Milos wasn't intending to do any wrong.

"...I...just things" she managed to say. She felt a little intruded by the question.

"...I should go back to bed. Sorry for disturbing you" he said. With that, Milos vanished from the entrance.

Blaze lay back down and dug here eyes into the pillow. She didn't cry, but sobbed quietly as her tears soaked up in the soft pillow. Boarding the floating castle and rescuing Silver seemed like such an impossible feat at that moment, and even considering the fact that Silver was alive was harder. It took her until the morning to finally fall asleep, where she would have to wake again to continue travelling in the vain hope of rescuing the man she loved.


	12. A Stroke of Luck

Chapter 12: A Stroke of Luck

After two days of travelling, the group finally arrived at Badon. The sight that greeted them was rather serene; a simple, yet rather large town located on the edge of a great mass of water, the Badon Sea. Everyone looked in awe at how never ending the body of water seemed to be, especially Blaze. Stamatis took notice to Blaze's reaction and decided to comment.

"You look like you've eaten something wonderful!" he commented. "Ever seen the sea before?"

"No..." she replied quietly. "...The idea of the sea always scared me"

"Because of your fire powers, right?" Milos asked. Blaze nodded.

"I'm not too fond of big bodies of water" she noted. "But Silver always told me about how beautiful the sea was. Especially in this sunshine" she noted, seeming somewhat wistful again.

"We have arrived at Badon" Wolfgang announced. "This town is the only town which offers crossing of the Badon Sea, which will act as a shortcut for us on our travel to Laleh. When we get here, we need to find the next crossing, and use whatever time we have in the town to purchase items and such" he explained. His explanation was met with complete silence, as if something had dawned on them that Wolfgang had failed to notice.

"But...we're low on money" Blaze noted. "It doesn't grow on trees, you know. We spent the majority of it in Carachino, before we met up with Stamatis and Milos, remember?"

The group could hear Wolfgang give an annoyed sigh.

"...You're right" he grumbled. "Without money, we also cannot pay for the crossing...argh!" he yelled. Blaze turned around to Stamatis.

"Best not talk to him" she said quietly. "I've never seen him lose his temper like that"

"He seems pretty controlled to me" Stamatis replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Just a short burst of rage, better than bottling it all up. I do it all the time when Milos tells me something I don't want to know"

As they travelled through the town, taking note of their dwindled expesnes, they found a stable and used the last of their money to accommodate Wolfgang's horse. As they disembarked, they gathered in the lively town square which held a small but pretty fountain.

"Right, we need money" Wolfgang explained. "Any ideas?"

Once again, he was met with complete silence. The other three looked about, scratched their heads and rubbed the floor with their feet, leaving patterns in the dust. Wolfgang sighed, trying to keep his decaying composure.

"Okay, so we're at square one" he said quietly. He looked about the town before walking towards the fountain that spurted in the centre of the square and sitting on its edge. The rest of the group approached him.

"Don't worry too much" Stamatis reassured. "I'm sure we'll find a way of crossing the sea somehow. Let's just stick around and see what we can come up with"

Right at that moment, there was a scream from within the crowds. It caused the entire group to jump, and in addition, frightened everyone in the area. People gasped and pointed at a masked man holding a sack with a few pieces of jewellery hanging out was pushing his way through the crowds. One person shouted "He's just robbed the jewellery store!"

Wolfgang, out of impulse, jumped right onto his feet and ran towards the burglar. He managed to intercept the thief's escape path, causing him to stop in from of the great knight. The thief suddenly pulled out a knife.

"Outta the way or I'll stab you in!" the thief threatened. Wolfgang drew his sword as the thief went to stab him and masterfully knocked the knife out of the thief's hand with his blade. The thief looked at his knife in shock and turned his head to come eye-to-eye with the tip of Wolfgang's blade.

"Return the gems at once" he ordered. "Or it will be me who'll be 'stabbing you in', good sir"

Wolfgang forced the thief to do the walk of shame back to the jewellery store in front of crowds of cheering people. The group followed Wolfgang as they marched the thief to the store, making him return all the gems before the police force cuffed him and walked him out of the store.

The manager of the lavish and well stocked store appeared from behind the counter and shook Wolfgang's hand.

"Oh, you stopped him!" he said in awe. "Thank you so much! You are a true hero, sir!"

"It was nothing..." Wolfgang hushed away. The rest of the group were in admiration of Wolfgang's brave and well executed feat, especially Milos, who was in so much awe, he couldn't help but feel a slight intimidated by Wolfgang.

"Oh, this is truly a miracle!" the manager continued. "How could we ever repay you?"

Blaze spotted the opportunity to get the group out of a fix.

"...Well, we are seeking to cross the Badon Sea, but we haven't any money to buy tickets" she explained.

"Not to worry!" the manager explained. "I shall take you to see...oh, here's here already!"

The group turned to the entrance of the store, where a rather old man walked in, dressed in a nice tweed suit. The man, who wore a monocle, his other eye squinted and almost hidden by his big, bushy grey eyebrow, walked towards the group.

"Are you the people who stopped a robbery from taking place just now?" he asked. The group nodded at him in return. The mayor gave a delighted chuckle at watching them.

"Oh, how very good" he remarked. "I believe if that thief would have gotten away, then we would have lost a very big amount of money's worth of jewellery. A fine deed you have enacted, sir" he explained.

"Mayor, this group need to cross the Badon Sea, but they haven't got the money" the manager explained.

"Hmm, is that so?" the mayor quipped. "No problem. The next boat comes to shore tomorrow morning. I'll let the captain know that I've allowed you free passage" he explained.

High spirits soared through the group as the mayor revealed this news.

"This is great!" Stamatis exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitment. "Our troubles for now are over!"

"Free passage...what a stroke of luck we managed to stop a robbery!" Blaze remarked. "Good job, Wolfgang!" she added, patting his back.

"It was nothing, milady" Wolfgang replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Now, is there anything else that you need before you go tomorrow?" the mayor asked.

"No thanks, we have everything we..." Wolfgang started. But Milos suddenly jumped forward.

"No, wait!" he interrupted. Wolfgang looked down at Milos, unhappy by being cut off.

"What is it now?" both Wolfgang and Stamatis said in unison to Milos, crossing their arms in impatience.

"Well...can we have some horses?" he asked bluntly.

"Horses?" the mayor asked. Stamatis pulled Milos back.

"Are you insane?" he reprimanded. "We may just lose our free passage if we ask too much!"

But the mayor gave a smile, confusing Stamatis.

"There is no need to be worried" the mayor explained. "In fact, two fresh horses have just come in from shipment. As a reward and a parting gift for keeping the peace, you can have them, free of charge"

Wolfgang stepped forward. "Are you sure, Mayor?" he asked.

"Sure as I am old!" the mayor replied. He looked towards the manager. "You can lead them to the stables and show them the horses. I'm going to my house. Goodbye everyone!" he called out, turning around and walking out of the store.

"...Well, take what you can get, I suppose" Stamatis said after a short silence. Wolfgang shook his head.

"At least we don't have to pay for horses now" he said. He then turned and looked down at Milos. "But interrupting someone while they're talking is rude, do you understand? If you do that again, then I'll..."

"Come on, Wolfgang!" Blaze interrupted, silencing Wolfgang. "He's young. He'll learn in time, won't you?" she asked Milos, who replied with an eager nod. All Wolfgang could do was grumble in response.

The following morning after a free stay at the inn, thanks to their new status as 'heroes', the group were given a pair of fine brown horses, smaller than Wolfgang's giant armoured horse, but still rather sturdy. Blaze had a good enough idea of how to ride a horse from her days in the castle, but Wolfgang had to teach Stamatis how to ride his when they docked at the other side of the Badon Sea. Wolfgang had his revenge on being interrupted by telling Milos he could either sit in the wheelbarrow, or fly. Milos didn't really care, the feeling of winning an exchange with an adult was more than liberating enough for him. After collecting their horses, they headed towards the dock where the great sails of the ship blew in the wind, ready to take them away. But Wolfgang was in for a little surprise when they got to the ship...


	13. Aboard the Ship

Chapter 13: Aboard the Ship

At the dock, the group got in the short line of people boarding the ship. They noticed the large size of the ship and the words "Neo Celeste" emblazoned on the side of the ship in large red, fancy letters. The ship itself seemed to be rather durable looking, complete with many rowing oars on the bottom and cannons poking out of holes from the sides of the ship.

"Wow...I don't think I've ever seen such a big ship before" Stamatis remarked. The ship seemed to represent more of a battleship than a ferry.

The group were next to board. A man who was dressed in a ragged vest and shorts looked at the group.

"Tickets" he said in a gruff voice. Wolfgang stepped forward.

"We have been granted permission to board free of charge from the mayor" he explained. The man looked at Wolfgang strangely, before another man appeared behind and whispered into his ear. The ticket man then nodded and stepped aside.

"Come right on board" he said in the same voice, allowing the group to walk over the planks that lead onto the lavish ship, with the horses taking a separate plank into the hull of the ship, where the stables were located.

A few minutes later and everyone was on board. There was a cast of characters, some warriors, some normal people, old and young, male and female. There was about twenty of them on the ship. As they were talking, some of the crew members jumped onto the ship and unhooked it from the dock. It was at that moment someone walked onto the front of the ship, higher elevated than the rest of them, as if he were on a podium, ready to do a speech. The man was dressed like the rest of his crew, but his hair was longer and a bit greyer, plus he was very muscular, albeit a slightly protruding stomach.

"Attention everyone!" the man shouted in a commanding, yet gravely voice. "I'd like to welcome you all on board the Neo Celeste. My name is Maxwell, and I'm the captain of this boat" he explained. "The trip will last three days, we have enough food for all, and I don't want any complaining about bein' seasick! If you want to throw up, then do it overboard..."

The captain continued to explain his rules and regulations of the ship, including no big weighty movements, no fighting and no fire, to which Blaze kept her mouth shut. Then, after Maxwell had explained his rules, cleared his throat.

"Now that we all understand the rules" he said. "I don't see any reason why we can't cast off. Last chance for anyone who's afraid of water!"

There were no objections, so the ship set sail. Its grand masts were unravelled, showing a detailed blue and red design. The wind caught in the sails at once and the oarsmen below begun to row, the sound of their efforts sometimes audiable when the boat was quiet. The next leg of the group's journey had begun.

An hour or two into the trip, Blaze was watching the sea on one side of the ship as it rolled by. They were far away from land now and were covered on every side by the great sea. Stamatis, who noticed Blaze had been watching the sea for a long time, was about to go and keep her company when he was stopped by Milos.

"Whatcha doing?" Milos asked. Stamatis turned to him, a little angry that he was pulled aside.

"If you gotta know..." Stamatis started. "I was going to have a talk with Blaze. She seems lonely" he explained. Milos blushed slightly upon hearing her name, something that Stamatis hadn't seen before. Then, before he could ask, Milos turned around and walked away. Stamatis watched the retreating Milos, shrugging before walking up to Blaze and kneeling next to her on the edge of the boat.

"You look like you're having fun" Stamatis quipped, leaning on the wooden banister. Blaze turned her head to look at Stamatis.

"Oh, hello Stamatis" Blaze replied. "I'm just looking at the sea, that's all..."

"You look a little sad" Stamatis mentioned. "I mean, not only is it boiling hot and sunny out here, but fire and heat is you're kinda thing, right? Why aren't you enjoying this experience a little more?"

Blaze exhaled a sigh, looking down and closing her eyes in sadness. Stamatis then remembered about Silver's kidnapping, and how it must have been tearing at her heart.

"...I'm sorry, I forgot about him..." Stamatis said quietly.

"Don't worry" Blaze said quickly, looking back up at Stamatis. "I...I have hope. Hope that he's still alive on that castle. The fact he was kidnapped and not killed...the fact it was him, not anyone else, that gives me hope that I can still rescue my darling..."

"You must really love him, huh?" Stamatis asked. Blaze managed a nod, looking back out to the sea.

"I remember arguing with him the day before he was taken" Blaze explained. "I was so selfish. Just because I wanted to spend time with him. My father said that a little time off from him would have made me want him even more. I would have never imagined being separated from him this long..." she explained.

"...It must be real tough" Stamatis said, looking down towards the waves being caused by the moving ship. "...You know, me and Milos haven't had the best time either"

"It must be hard providing for yourselves in Carachino" Blaze guessed. Stamatis gave a nod.

"We get by" Stamatis replied. "...And I don't care about myself really. It's Milos I care about. He's my...brother, you know? If he was hungry, I'd give up some of the food on my plate to keep him satisfied. Maybe I do get annoyed by him sometimes, but putting that all behind, he's a real nice kid. I want him to have the best upbringing, and I want him to have a healthy life, a loving wife and a good paying job when he's older"

"...That's...touching" Blaze said quietly, her throat choking up at Stamatis's story. Stamatis let out a small chuckle.

"He's also one hell of a blacksmith" he mentioned. "Makes armour and weapons; the kid's only eight. He knows everything about all the different metals and alloys, which metals mix to make the strongest alloys, how to make weapons stronger, or renew old rusty weapons. Works good with wood as well. Want to know what his dream is?" he asked.

"Dream? You mean his goal in life?" Blaze asked. Stamatis nodded, smiling to himself. "Go on, tell me"

"He wants to build a flying machine" Stamatis revealed. Blaze's eyes opened upon hearing the revelation.

"A flying machine?" she asked. "Like the floating castle?"

"Err...kinda" Stamatis answered. "But more of a one man, flying machine. Kinda like a horse, but one which flies, if you get what I'm saying" he explained.

"That's so cute..." Blaze replied quietly. "...Somehow, I think he'll succeed"

"Yeah, me too..." Stamatis murmured. "The boy does more and more crazy things as time goes on. I'm only seventeen myself; I suppose I have a lot more of his marvels to witness before I die"

"Stamatis! Big brother!"

The two turned around to see Milos standing at the entrance to below decks, waving.

"What is it, Milos?" Stamatis called to him.

"I've been talking with the oarsmen!" Milos revealed, to which Stamatis groaned.

"Have you been bothering people again? I thought I made it clear to you that you'd be on your best behaviour whilst we were travelling!" Stamatis reprimanded.

"No, it's okay!" Milos said back. "I asked them of they had any spare material, and the oarsmen told me they had a bunch of bent and broken oars from the past! They let me have the stuff so I can make new armour for the group, but I need help carrying it up to my workshop in the stables next to Wolfgang's horse!" Milos shouted, panting for breath after his long explanation. "Can you help me carry them up?"

Blaze giggled a little as Stamatis sighed. He turned to Blaze.

"Well, suppose I'd better help him. Hope you're feeling a little better" he said. "And hey..."

He leaned in and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find Silver. Just believe, that's all. Like Wolfgang said" he said quietly, smiling.

"Stamatis...thank you" Blaze replied. Stamatis then relinquished himself to the nagging Milos, who made him carry the heavy broken oars all by himself to the stable. Milos then set to work with his tools, creating.

Meanwhile, Wolfgang was heading towards Maxwell's cabin. There was something he needed to say to the captain, an age old problem that wouldn't get off his chest...


	14. Long Time, No See

Chapter 14: Long Time, No See

He walked into the room, expecting to find Maxwell busy at the wheel. But as he closed the door behind him, he saw that the wheel was unmanned. The room was empty.

Wolfgang looked around the captain's quarters. It was a rather small room, which was lit by the windows that revealed the bright light of ther sun. To one side of the room was a desk full of papers and a few quills and ink, with things such as hourglasses and map charts laying on the desk. To the other side of the room was a cabinet and bookshelves full of old books. In front of the steering wheel were clear glass windows, where the sea and the view from out front of the ship could be seen. In t middle of the room, there was a lush blue carpet with yellow inscriptions and patterns along the side.

He walked closer to the wheel, hoping maybe he'd come into sight. But as he stepped onto the rug and looked around, he couldn't see the captain anywhere. So Wolfgang turned around and was about to leave.

"It appears we have a nosy one on board..."

Wolfgang saw Maxwell standing at the entrance as he turned, his arms folded. He didn't see him coming into the room and was caught red handed in his quarters. He hoped that he wouldn't have to meet him this way, but he knew what he had to do.

Meanwhile, Maxwell stepped up to Wolfgang.

"You don't look the type to be a spy or something" he growled. "But I bet that's what spies these days look like. Strange...unpredictable. What are you doing in my quarters? Trying to steal my precious charts?" he accused. Wolfgang then took a deep breath and made his revelation by removing his mask, something he had not done in front of someone for years.

"It's me...brother" Wolfgang said quietly. There was a lingering silence in the room upon Wolfgang's revelation. Maxwell's eyes opened a little, before they darted about, examining Wolfgang's face. As the seconds went by, the realisation hit him. His face turned into one of compassion.

"...Wolfgang?" he said quietly. "...Is that really you?"

"It is, Maxwell" Wolfgang replied. "It's been a long time" He extended his hand, to which Maxwell observed for a minute before shaking, still in shock of seeing his brother in front of him. Such a long time had passed since they had last seen each other, the atmosphere was brimming with excitement. It was like finding buried treasure, or finding a precious object washed up upon a shore after years of it being lost at sea.

A few minutes had passed and the both were sat down near the desk. Maxwell had brought out the wine in his cabinet and served a glass for Wolfgang and himself. They started talking.

"It's been...what, thirty years now?" Maxwell asked.

"That is correct" Wolfgang replied. "Thirty years since I left home to start my training as a knight"

"And you look to be one as well!" Maxwell commented. "I heard passing rumours about you being the first-in-command of Zanskar's armies. I didn't really believe them at first, but seeing you now, I have no choice but to believe them!" he noted.

"It had been rough up until about three years ago. You remember Gustav, right?" he asked.

"Argh, that fool" Maxwell replied. "My sea trade suffered because of that man. But he's gone now, gone and hopefully quite forgotten. Were you part of his downfall?"

"Yeah, although Princess Blaze was the one who really delivered the coup de grace" Wolfgang added. "So this is what you've been doing, is it?" he asked, looking around the ship.

"Well, ferrying people across the Badon Sea is my new job" Maxwell explained. "If you remember me as a kid, I always dreamt about being some sorta knight. But I couldn't cut it; I was scared of deadly fights and stuff. So I became a cartographer, then a sea charter. I made my life on travelling the seas and making maps, but I came across buried treasure, can you believe it? Besides, with the money from that, I started my own business as a fisherman, buying a bunch of boats to get the fish. As of now, I have taken up the new job of being the ferryman across the Badon Sea, ever since the old guy who did it died. He was an old, but lovely chap" Maxwell explained. "That's about 25 years of history there for you in a nutshell!"

"You've kept yourself busy, it sounds" Wolfgang remarked. Maxwell laughed and sipped his wine.

"So tell me, what business do you have across the sea?"

"...I don't suppose you've heard about the floating castle, right?" Wolfgang asked. The friendly atmosphere died suddenly as Maxell's eyebrows dipped. His smile turned into a slight frown as he looked about.

"Indeed I do" he said, with a more serious expression, putting his wine down. "I've also heard about its attacks"

"Me and my companions are in pursuit of the castle" Wolfgang explained. "Blaze is on board this ship, but I want you to stay quiet about it. We're keeping a low profile, her lover was captured about a week or so ago, so we're trying to rescue him and take that castle out of the sky at the same time" he explained. Maxwell nodded his head in contemplation.

"I understand..." he said quietly. "My guess is you're seeking to save your man and take the castle down, right?" he asked.

"That's right" Wolfgang replied. "We're still in the situation of trying to find out how to board it. I figured if it runs on fuel, it has to land at some point, so our pursuit will continue until we can board it and do what we must do" he explained. "If you could offer assistance in any way, that would be great, brother"

"As far as manpower goes, I'm afraid I cannot help" Maxwell explained, looking down into his wine glass, near empty. "...But my books are full of knowledge and ancient lore" he added, looking towards the bookshelves behind him. "They're all I can offer, but if they can assist you, then I'll let you have any of them"

Wolfgang stood up and walked towards the bookshelves, examining the books. Maxwell was right; there was a lot of lore and philosophy, but also mechanical books and such. Maxwell stood up and went to stand beside his brother.

"...The variety of these books is vast" Maxwell added. "That young man, Milos, the man who asked to use the broken oars for material...he strikes me as a kid who likes his books. Perhaps if there's something in these books that can offer explanations concerning the floating castle?" Maxwell suggested. Wolfgang turned to his brother, smiling a little.

"I'll go and get him now" he said.

**EDIT: Big thanks goes to Disney Villain for pointing out a slight gramatical error in the use of the word 'fiancee', it has now been changed to 'lover', the misinterpretation of the word would have confused the plot had it stayed, so thanks! :)**


	15. The Castle Returns

Chapter 15: The Castle Returns

Two days had passed since the voyage began. Milos was called by Wolfgang to be given a select choice of books from Maxwell's shelves of literature and knowledge, as well as books of his own choosing. Milos selected a wide range of different mythological and technical books, many of which were uninteresting to Wolfgang.

Blaze had cheered up a little whilst on the voyage. The hope that she would be in the arms of Silver once more was growing inside of her, building her confidence. Stamatis stood by her side as a good friend, sure to comfort her when things were getting rough.

As the ship travelled further through the sea, the skies started to become darker and mistier. Once this weather was brought to Maxwell's attention, he stood out of his cabin and walked outside for a closer inspection.

"We don't know what's happening, captain!" one of the sailors said. "The weather isn't supposed to be like this! Plus the wind's blowing against our mast!"

Maxwell inspected the air carefully. There was a wind blowing against the mast, slowing the ship down to an extent, but there was no indication of rain.

"...Tell the oarsmen to stop rowing and get Wolfgang and his friends for me" Maxwell ordered. The ship was told to stop, in which it slowed to a halt.

Blaze was woken up by Wolfgang, whose arm shook her gently. She grunted and rubbed her eyes, ridding her sight of the morning blur.

"Wolfgang...*yawn*...what's happening?" she asked drearily.

"We've been summoned by the captain. I think I know what's happening"

Within minutes, Stamatis and Milos joined Wolfgang and Blaze on the front of the ship, all looking up towards the air.

"So what's causing the bad weather?" Maxwell asked after they assessed the situation. Blaze turned to Wolfgang.

"Is the castle nearby?" she asked. "Usually when it comes, the sky gets dark, right?"

"Correct" Wolfgang answered. "But where is the noise that accompanies it?"

Suddenly, a booming noise erupted from the sky. Everyone on the ship jumped in fright and looked up to the sky, where an intense humming noise was suddenly audible. A great stone spire appeared from the clouds. Maxwell gasped at the sight.

"What the hell is that!" he shouted, pointing to the spire in the sky. It grew larger, the tip descending almost directly above the ship. Both Wolfgang and Blaze drew their swords in unison, prepared to fight off a possible attack.

But a lone figure came falling from the sky once more. They watched it as it fell, before the figure suddenly floated in front of the ship. It was a cat-like figure dressed in dark leather and steel armour, with a small black cape, wielding a large dagger. It had dark purple, almost black eyes and a rather proud face. It was a male, floating in front of the ship with both arms crossed, bobbing up and down slightly.

"...My master was correct" the figure said before anyone could have a chance to speak. "He said that I would find you here, trying to cross the sea..."

"Are you one of the Caelus Guard?" Wolfgang shouted towards the figure. The figure then gracefully floated down to the edge of the ship, landing daintily with both feet on the ship.

"I am Delago" he said quietly, his arms still folded. "And you are correct. I am a member of the Caelus Guard"

"One of the castle people then..." Blaze said quietly. She stood forward, much to Wolfgang's surprise.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Let me confront this man" Blaze said, turning her head back slightly towards Wolfgang. "I haven't had much action on this adventure. I want to see how the swordplay my father's taught me is keeping"

"Oh, how wonderful" Delago remarked. "A cat, just like myself. And you must be this Blaze character that the boss keeps talking about..."

"What have you done with Silver!" Blaze demanded, unsheathing her sword a little. Delago remained unflinching at Blaze's threat.

"So that's his name, is it?" Delago noted. "Silver...it's quite a fitting name"

"He is still alive...is he?" Blaze asked, a little more concerned about the answer she was going to get.

Delago responded with a slow, but cocky nod.

"Indeed he is" he replied. "But I believe his face does not match his complexion any longer. Perhaps if he were to chnage is name to 'Pale', then maybe it'd fit.."

Blaze stepped forward, drawing her sword.

"If you've laid a finger on him, I'll cut you apart!" she spat at Delago, who started to giggle in reaction. He spun his dagger in his hand, before making it float above his palm.

"Slowly as the days pass, his soul, his spirit, his will to live...it is being drained" Delago revealed. Blaze gasped at the images that formed in her head, of Silver's torture. She didn't know what to say, but Delago continued. "If I am correct, today marks day eight of our wonderful countdown! There are only thirteen days left, Blaze..."

"What do you mean?" Blaze shouted. "I want an answer, now!"

Delago laughed once more with his high pitched, posh laugh.

"Well, why don't you just wait thirteen days and you'll find out?" he taunted. Blaze gritted her teeth, the temperature around her rising.

"That's enough..." she said quietly, staring at Delago intensely. "I'll shove your words back in your mouth!"

Delago then grabbed his dagger and stepped towards Blaze.

"I agree. The time for talk is over" he said. "Now I'll show you what I, the great mage Delago, am capable of!"

Delago did a back flip to the edge of the boat before clenching his free fist. He started to growl as he appeared to concentrate. Suddenly, he yelled and lifted his hand, causing the area around the boat to shake and rock. At once, a great rock pillar shot up from behind Delago, with a flat top, like a fighting arena. Delago then jumped from the ship high into the air, landing on the rock pillar.

Milos ran up to Blaze at that moment, holding what seemed to be brand new armour.

"Blaze, put this on!" he said, running up to her, catching her attention. "It's stronger than your last armour; I made it from the broken oars"

Blaze picked the armour up and inspected it. It was a breastplate that was held in place with large bolts, much like the iron bands that were on the oars. She slipped it on top of the leather armour she had.

"Thank you Milos" she said, rubbing his head. Wolfgang then stepped up.

"Are you really sure about this?" he asked. Blaze looked at her father's rapier, taking a deep breath before looking back up at Wolfgang.

"I'm certain" she said. "I'll prove you needn't look after me on the journey"

"But how are you going to get across to that platform?" he asked. Blaze smiled somewhat deviously.

"This is where fire comes into play..." she said quietly. She then turned around and looked at the platform she had to get to.

She started to run towards the edge of the boat. People thought she was crazy to try and jump to the platform. It was higher than the boat itself and about twenty metres away from the tip of the boat.

Blaze quickly threw her hands behind her as she jumped, yelling. Suddenly, there was a burst of fire that emitted from her hands, propelling her high into the air. She landed on the platform, before standing straight and putting her rapier out in front of her.

"Right...let's go" she said, ready to fight. Delago snickered a little.

"I forgot to mention" he said, clicking his fingers. Suddenly, there was a humming sound all around them once more, more intense than the previous. Blaze looked up in the air and saw the rock formations on the spire moving, revealing a silver cannon. She knew what was going to happen.

"You have fifteen minutes. Now, let's fight!" Delago announced.


	16. Fifteen Minutes

Chapter 16: Fifteen Minutes

Blaze unleashed her rage at once and ran towards Delago with her rapier in hand. The two started to slash at each other, Delago quickly stepping side to side, blocking with his dagger. He quickly jumped over Blaze and behind her. Blaze turned around to see Delago with a hand outstretched, a blue orb in his hand. He then threw it, which narrowly missed Blaze's head.

"You see?" he said, stepping back. "Not only do I possess great strength, but my skills with magic are unmatched! You've no hope of defeating me!" he taunted.

Blaze ran towards Delago and slashed at him, but Delago suddenly vanished as she swiped at him. She looked around in frustration, before turning to feel a backhand strike her across the face, causing her to fall to the floor. She could hear Delago's tittering above her, which made her angry. Standing up, Blaze watched as Delago raised his free hand, small rocks appearing from the sea, floating behind him. He then yelled and threw his hand out, causing the rocks to shoot towards Blaze. Blaze swung at one of the rocks, missing it, before ducking below the other two. As she got up, Delago was suddenly in the air, falling down on her with his dagger ready to strike.

Quickly, she placed her free hand behind her and propelled herself out of Delago's way with a fire burst. Delago hit the floor, having missed his target, before turning around, smiling.

"Impressive" he said. Suddenly, he jumped at Blaze with his dagger ready to cut at her. Blaze quickly jumped back and parried two of Delago's slashes. On Delago's third slash, Blaze managed to catch his arm, in which she kicked him in the gut and pushed him away. Raising her rapier, she went to strike him on the head with it when Delago quickly stood back up straight and blocked the blade. He grabbed Blaze's arm and moved behind her, pushing her away. As Blaze turned around, Delago jumped at her, ready to strike again.

Quickly, Blaze shot herself up into the air with a fire burst, dodging Delago's dagger. Delago looked up and floated quickly up to where Blaze was. His leg glowed with dark energy and as he rose and he went for a kick. But Blaze dodged the kick by ducking her head and went for a punch with her free arm. Delago was doing the same and the both struck each other in the face through the air.

Blaze fell down, just being able to land on her feet and sprung back. She felt a heavy throbbing in her face from where she was just struck, by the side of her nose. It was a rather numb pain, one that she placed her hand on, covering her face. Delago landed neatly and rubbed his face a little before crossing his arms.

"In pain already?" he taunted. Blaze growled and stood back up, putting her hand down to show that pain was not going to stop her.

"I'm not done yet" he said back. "I'll make sure you pay for what you've done!"

"Five minutes have already expired..." Delago noted, to which Blaze gasped. Had that much time really just gone by?

"You'd better hurry" Delago added, to which Blaze rushed at Delago again. She charged a fireball in her hand and threw it as she ran, to which Delago ducked with ease. The two slashed against each other's blades, before Delago quickly jumped back. He then plunged his dagger into the ground, looking at Blaze. She could feel a tremor beneath her feet, so she jumped. At that moment, a stone spire shot out from the ground, almost piercing Blaze violently. As Blaze landed with the spire in front of her, she ducked as Delago rushed towards it, shattering the spire into pieces. Blaze stood up, having dodged the debris and fired another fireball, which Delago managed to slash away in the nick of time. The two then clashed blades with each other and pushed for strength. They stayed in this position for a few a few seconds until Delago started to get the upper hand. Blaze started to feel the tremendous strain on her arms, and she knew there was way of getting out of the situation without getting injured.

Blaze realised how she could win the struggle. Whilst still holding her blade, she started to conjure fire in her left hand. Suddenly, just before Delago could overcome Blaze's strength, she released her hand, jettisoning a fire burst in Delago's face. He yelled and fell back, clutching his face from the pain. Blaze also fell on her back from the sudden exhaustion of holding off Delago with one arm temporarily. She slowly got up at the same rate as Delago, who was a lot more enraged from his face being singed.

"You...dirty..." he uttered.

"What's wrong?" Blaze taunted. "Cat got your tongue? Can't play with fire?"

Delago stamped on the floor in anger.

"How dare you insult me!" he shouted. "I am the second best warrior in the galaxy, one beneath the master himself!" he added. "You have seven minutes left..."

Blaze looked up top the sky to see that the cannon was almost fully revealed, and the humming sound started to become higher pitched. Looking down, she saw Delago running at her once more. She quickly jumped to the side and threw a missed fireball. Delago then stepped up to Blaze and attempted to punch her, missing Blaze's face by an inch. Blaze threw a hasty punch back, which didn't work. Delago then adopted a form of martial arts pose and flurried four quick punches to areas all around Blaze, before attempting to finish the combo off with a roundhouse kick. Blaze quickly ducked the flying leg and swing with her rapier, but Delago quickly blocked it with his knife and jabbed Blaze in the face. Blaze flinched and fell back a little, with Delago then going to slash at her. Blaze quickly ducked his swipe, but he swept his leg beneath her, tripping her up and causing her to fall right to the floor. She struggled onto her back, where she saw Delago about to pierce her with his knife. She rolled quickly as the knife sunk into the ground next to her, but as she tried to get up, a hand grabbed her by the throat and forced her down to the floor.

She watched as Delago's scarred face looked back at her with anger. The force of his choke hold was squeezing the life out of her; she could feel the sickening grasp of his fingers digging into her neck. Her windpipe was squeezed tight, she couldn't breathe.

But she could still conjure fire.

Quickly, she shot another flame burst right into Delago's face, which caused him to scream and fall back, clutching his face. Blaze gasped and held her throat, trying to inhale as much oxygen as possible. She struggled to her feet, watching as Delago held his face in agony. She knew she could beat him at that moment.

She ran towards Delago and slashed at him. There was a swipe, then a blood-curdling scream. Delago's hand revealed his burned face, his eyes wide open and his face displaying one of agony as he screamed. Blaze watched as his hand, clutching his dagger, fell limply to the floor, a spout of blood spurting from the stump of his wrist.

He managed to control his screaming into a grunt of agony as he floated quickly into the air in defeat. He looked at Blaze with a bleeding, peeling burnt face that was half recognizable.

"My hand...you cut off my hand!" he screamed, placing his stump beneath his arm while caressing his damaged face with his one hand. Blaze was still panting for breath from the dangerous choke she was in, but she managed to say a few words.

"...Is that...*wheeze*...good enough for you?" she taunted, still gasping for breath. Delago grunted, his face wrinkled in pain.

"Don't get...so cocky..." he said quietly. "There are three minutes until the beam is fully charged..."

Blaze looked above once again to see certain sections of the cannon glowing. It was true, it appeared to be charging. The humming noises were becoming higher and higher pitched.

"What are you going to do?" Blaze shouted. Delago managed to laugh in his pain, concealing his face, but still revealing his twisted smile.

"The beam may not be strong enough yet to freeze the entire sea..." Delago noted. "...But the ice columns that will form will trap you in the sea forever!"

Before Blaze could get in another word, with a yell, Delago shot into the sky, back towards the partially revealed castle. It was only now that Blaze realised the great exhaust pipes that stuck out vertically from the castle spire, emitting a blue fire light that seemed to be the propulsion keeping it in the air. Some of them spun around the spire on a coil whilst others were built in.

Blaze quick propelled herself via fire burst back onto the ship, where she was applauded. Wolfgang approached her first.

"That was very impressive" he said. "You showed them what we're made of"

"Wolfgang, there's no time" she said. "There's less than three minutes until that beam fires! We need to pull this boat back!"

Wolfgang suddenly looked at Maxwell, who nodded.

"Alright men, move this ship back as far away from that cannon as possible!"


	17. The Caelus Guard

Chapter 17: The Caelus Guard

"Look what they've done to you Delago. They cut off your hand"

_"I cannot believe I let myself down so badly. Please accept my...ngh...apologies, my lord"_

"...I suppose you can be forgiven for now. Besides, your fight with them has ascertained many things. For instance, there is more than one amongst them who can fight, and that there are obviously varying different styles of fighting at work here"

**"What're you going to do about his hand, sir?"**

"We'll figure out what we'll do with Delago's hand at a later date. Remind me, how many days are remaining until that hedgehog's soul is fully drained?"

_"...Thirteen days sir"_

"Perfect"

**"Not to go off topic here, but why's the king still here? Why did we capture him in the first place?"**

"Patience, Branko. I keep the wishes of the king secret for now. I can reveal there are current...negotiations taking place between me and King Marcelino"

_"You needn't worry about us, sir...we'll still follow you, as long as your intentions are pure...pure evil, that is"_

"Now that's the loyalty I adore. With such obedience, the Caelus Guard will be unstoppable. Within thirteen days, we will have complete and certain control of the world"

**"I'm still a little worried about the plan, sir. What if the timings are messed up?"**

"They won't. I'll make very sure of that"

_"Yes, Branko. Like the master said, patience"_

**"...Patience...fine then"**

"Good. Now let us concentrate on current affairs. Delago, is the cannon ready to fire?"

_"Yes sir, but are you sure this will work? I tried to make the predicted result of the cannon's firing as disastrous sounding as I could, without over exaggerating it"_

"I know you're anxious. The laser may not be at full strength capacity, and the sea will not freeze. But if anything, we can slow those pitiful brigadiers down. The longer our plan remains uninterrupted, the better"

_"I understand, sir"_

"Well in that case, tarry no longer and fire the cannon!"


	18. The Ice Pillars

Chapter 18: The Ice Pillars

Suddenly, the humming noise stopped for a millisecond before the brilliant light blue beam shot right out from the tip of the cannon, diving right into the sea. The waves instantly started to rock from the impact, causing the boat to sway back and forth. Maxwell barked orders at the oarsmen to keep the boat steady as the beam was firing. There was an intense high pitched sound as the beam was firing. Everything around Blaze just seemed to be a blurry, blaring mess of noise and colours.

Quickly, the beam stopped, slowly bringing calm to the sea again. The group watched as the castle started to ascend back up into the clouds, the cannon hiding itself with the rock formations of the spire.

There was an uneasy silence on the boat. Everybody looked at there the beam had fired. There was nothing but the waning shockwaves being formed in the stilling water...

The area begun started to shake. Everybody on the ship looked at each other in fear before holding onto something to keep them supported. Nobody knew what was causing the tremors, and nobody knew what was going to happen to them.

At once, great ice pillars started to shoot out from all over them, surrounding them. The boat was swept about by the waves caused by the sudden uprising. More and more ice pillars formed, some creating impassable walls. They rose and rose, some going to at least fifty feet high in the sky, casting an ominous shade within the alcoves.

The carnage of ice continued for at least two minutes until the ice formations stopped rising. The boat, although rocked and rolled, was still in one piece, and minor injuries were the worst of the damage. But now the people on the boat were faced with a new challenge.

Wolfgang stepped up to the front and cast his eyes out. They were caught in a trench of ice, still floating in the water but shaded in by the ice.

"...Such power... he murmured quietly. Blaze stood up next to him.

"Is it possible to continue through this?" she asked. Maxwell then turned to Wolfgang.

"This is a tough situation we're in..." Maxwell said quietly. "It's certainly going to slow our trip down a little"

"...Are you implying we carry on?" Wolfgang asked. He sighed as he watched his brother nod. Blaze on the other hand, was more enthusiastic about the decision.

"I say we try to navigate our way through" she said, her fist clenched with determination. "We're not going to let the castle beat us now! We can't just give up! We'll plough through this ice if we have to! Right?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's right!" Milos shouted with enthusiasm. The enthusiasm spread through the spirits of the people on board, and soon everyone on the boat was beginning to chant for Maxwell to continue. He turned and looked back at Wolfgang after surveying the people on the boat.

"I can't let them down, you know" he said. "Besides, we'll be fine. We have plenty of on board provisions. In fact, you! Mate in the red!" he shouted, looking right at Stamatis.

"Me?" he asked.

"That's right, you!" Maxwell confirmed. "Go below decks and find me the longest rope you can! If we get lost, we'll follow the rope we've set. It'll come in handy if we need to turn around and head back to Badon" he explained.

Wolfgang smiled a little.

"I suppose your determination is something that gives you hope" he said. "I know we'll be safe. I'm just worried for Silver...that Delago man kept mentioning that we had thirteen days left. I shudder to think what will happen if we fail to stop the castle when those thirteen days are at an end..." he said quietly.

The order was given to set sail once more. The rope was tossed into the sea and the ship begun to navigate its way through the maze of ice. Some areas of the sea were filled with less ice than others, making the seas a little bit easier to navigate. The crewman on top of the crow's nest had the job of directing the ship north towards the other side of the Badon Sea. The extent of the cannon's effect was rather large; everything within a rough mile of where it had struck had been frozen into the labyrinth of ice, with a great mountain of ice in the center.

Hours passed and the sun was beginning to set when the ship was near escaping the ice labyrinth. Maxwell looked up to the sky and placed a hand to the side of his mouth.

"Crow's nest!" Maxwell called. "How far until we get out of this mess?"

"Not long now captain!" the crewman shouted back down. "Just a few hundred more metres and I think we'll be out!"

But as they travelled around the last corner, they found themselves up in a narrow pass, with the devastating view of a dead end in front of them. And what made it worse was the pass was too narrow to turn the ship around. If they couldn't get past the big ice wall that stood in front of them, they were stuck in the crevice, possibly forever. The ship became somehwta silent when they saw that they were trapped in a dead end, faced against the large ice wall.

"Well...it appears we're trapped" Wolfgang said quietly. "Have we anything on this ship that can shatter the ice?"

Maxwell looked at the ice wall in frustration, scratching his head.

"Argh...no, we haven't" he said quietly. "Had we the ability to turn the ship, we could have fired the cannons at it, but it's far too tight in here. We can't even move backwards!" he complained. "What are we going to do?"

Stamatis took notice to the problem at hand and turned towards Blaze.

"We're in deep trouble. What if we can't break the ice wall? We'll be stuck here forever!" he said in exasperation. Blaze kept her eyes fixed on the ice wall. She had a contemplative, concentrated look on her face, as if she were plotting.

"...It's made of ice...and fire melts ice. Thing is, how thick is it?"

"Were you thinking of using your fire powers to try and melt the ice?" Stamatis guessed. Blaze looked at him briefly, and then nodded. She then cleared her throat. "Wolfgang" she called.

Wolfgang turned around and walked up to Blaze.

"What is it, Blaze?" Wolfgang asked, his voice as composed as ever.

"...I think I know how to get us out of here" Blaze said quietly.

"Does it involve your fire powers?" Wolfgang guessed. Blaze's plan had become rather obvious, so she nodded in confirmation.

"I don't have the power to create a fire beam or anything, but I can float about with my flames and project them from my feet as well as my hands. I thought if I propelled myself at it and delivered a heated kick, maybe it'd break the ice?" she explained.

"...I'll let Maxwell know about the plan. I suppose it's all we have to work on for now"


	19. Twelve Days

Chapter 19: Twelve Days

The plan was set into motion. Planks were set up from the middle of the ship to the front, allowing Blaze to make a straight, uninterrupted run towards the ice wall. The plan was simple, Blaze would run towards the ice wall, propel herself off the ship with her fire burst, use her flame powers to create a heated strike that would damage the ice wall, and repeat if the wall still stood. Executing it however was going to be easier said than done.

Blaze took a deep breath and envisioned how her strike was going to work. Everyone on the boat watched in suspense as she stood there, her eye contact unbroken against the ice wall, her focus unbroken. There was almost complete silence on the ship as they watched her.

Suddenly, she started to run as fast as she could, racing right up the ramp and towards the edge of the ship, ready to jump. Everybody held their breath as she jumped, propelling herself towards the ice wall with a fire burst. She then started to spin quickly, flames emitting from all around her, before she yelled and stopped at the wall, striking it with a flaming kick.

She bounced right off the ice wall just as a massive cracking sound could be heard. She landed on the tip of the ship, falling down on her back. Everybody's attention was fixed on the ice wall. They could see that there was a large crack where Blaze had kicked it, and the cracks were stretching out and expanding all over the ice wall.

There was a silence as the cracks stopped moving. The wall already looked rather damaged, and Blaze herself was rather impressed with the damage she had done. Maxwell walked up to the tip of the ship and inspected the cracks.

"...Looks like you did something to it" he said. "...I think you should kick it again. Maybe it's smash us out"

Blaze looked at Maxwell and nodded, before walking back to where she was standing before. Her foot was throbbing slightly; she did kick the wall as hard as she could. Would a second kick do any better?

She started to run again, ignoring the pain in her foot. Charging her flames once more, she jumped off the tip of the ship and struck the ice again, even harder than before. Instantly, the ice wall shattered, great shards of ice flying out into the newly revealed open ocean. The people on the ship started to cheer as Maxwell clapped his hands and gave the order for the oarsmen to continue rowing. They manoeuvred their way out of the ice maze and continued to head north towards the end of the Badon Sea as night fell.

The following morning, the ship finally arrived at land. The group could see the land from far away coming closer, after what had felt like a never ending journey across the sea. Blaze was most glad to be back on land for she found the endless waters a little frightening, even though it was stunning sight to behold at the same time.

The ship docked in a very small town which consisted of three houses, and a hut where ship supplies were stored. The town was in connection to Badon, a supply and stop-and-drop off point for the ferry.

As passengers walked off the plank onto land, Wolfgang walked up to Maxwell.

"Well, it's been nice seeing you, brother" he said. Maxwell took Wolfgang's hand and shook it, smiling.

"Been a pleasure to ferry you across" Maxwell said back. "It might take some time for all that ice to melt, but I know now I can either just go around it, or take our route through it. Maybe I can even make it an attraction if it sticks around long enough!" he speculated. The brothers then hugged each other and said their farewells before Wolfgang stepped off the boat, joining Blaze, Stamatis and Milos, who were waiting for him. Wolfgang gave one final wave to the boat as it departed.

"...Well, we're over the halfway point to Laleh now" Wolfgang explained. "But today means that according to Delago, we have twelve days before something happens..."

"Scary..." Milos said quietly.

"In any case, it's best we keep moving" Blaze explained. The group agreed and Wolfgang showed Stamatis how to saddle up and board his new horse. Blaze had had experience of horse riding before, including one disastrous game of polo with Tinder. Soon, with Milos having to either fly or ride with Stamatis, the four set off towards the north east, edging closer towards Laleh.


	20. A Small Favour

Chapter 20: A Small Favour

It had been two days since the group had successfully crossed the Badon Sea and started to make their way towards Laleh. There was one more stop for them to make before they could finish their journey, and that was in a rather large city south of Laleh named Viteon. Viteon was known for it's good water displays and exciting nightlife. Even when news of the floating castle's victims spreads amongst the city's people, the nights were still as young.

The group rode through the grand gates and into Viteon. It was in the evening when they arrived, so they decided to check themselves in to one of the hotels there. Wolfgang managed to use his authority as a commander to gain the best rooms in the hotel for free, and within hours, the group were retiring into their rooms, ready to face the next day.

But as the night arrived and the nightlife began, Blaze couldn't help but walk out onto her balcony and have a moment to herself.

In her dressing gown, she leaned on the banister that overlooked the partying crowd below. The music and the images of people dancing could only bring her bitter memories of the past.

At once, her mind took her back three years to when she and Silver first met. She could remember the flashing lights and the grand hall that had been set out for Gustav's birthday. Silver was the double bass player of the band that was playing that night, and a very good band at that. Blaze sighed as she remembered Silver playing her favourite song, taking an amazing bass solo. Before she knew it, she started to sing quietly to herself.

_Lately, I find myself,_

_Out gazing at stars,_

_Hearing guitars,_

_Like someone in love..._

"Blaze?"

Blaze suddenly turned around to see Stamatis standing there. She had a shock; Stamatis wasn't wearing his helmet. It was the first time she actually saw his face in full. It was rather strange; he had quite long, shoulder length hair and a face that looked like he wanted to beat somebody up. He looked rather serious about something.

"Stamatis...you frightened me" Blaze said quietly.

"I knocked, but there was no answer" Stamatis replied, gesturing to her open door. "I decided to take a quick look in and I saw you here. You've got a pretty good voice, you know that?" he complimented. Blaze was rather nervous, why was Stamatis complimenting her? And why was he mask-less?

"...Can I help you with anything?" she asked. Stamatis then sighed and leaned on the railings, looking down at the crowds.

"...Um...I wanted to ask you favour" he explained. "It's...pretty weird. For you, anyway"

"What is it?" Blaze asked. She was even more nervous now. She could just imagine Stamatis attempting to profess his love for her on the balcony. How was she going to reject him?

"...It's about Milos" Stamatis said quietly. Blaze sighed quietly in relief as all the uncomfortable images were vanquished from her mind. But she was still rather perplexed.

"...What's wrong with Milos?" she asked. "Is he hurt?"

Stamatis shook his head and looked up at Blaze.

"I'm gonna come out with this, short and simple" he said. "Milos has a crush on you"

Blaze felt her heart jump slightly upon hearing Stamatis's words. She felt completely taken by surprise by the revelation, yet she came to realise suddenly why Milos was always somewhat shy around her, with his flushed cheeks and slight stammer. She brought a hand up to her mouth slowly, as if to control herself in her surprise.

"...A...c-crush?" she asked, her eyes wide open. Stamatis then started to laugh quietly.

"Yeah...he's always kinda nervous around you" Stamatis explained. "I mean, I can also admit that you are quite the looker"

"...You're not thinking of trying anything, are you?" Blaze asked suspiciously. Stamatis then smiled, letting out a little grunt.

"I fully acknowledge the relationship between you and Silver" he said. "I'm not so low as to try and take advantage of his absence. Besides, you're not exactly my type. I tend to like girls who are...well, not as _fiery_ as it were..." he joked. The two laughed a little before Blaze inquired further.

"So...Milos has a crush on me?" she asked. Stamatis confirmed this with a nod, to which Blaze replied "What do you want me to do about it?"

"...He knows you and Silver are in a relationship" Stamatis explained. "But he's a young boy; he can't help it when he thinks someone is attractive. It isn't as if the feelings he has are completely serious toward you, but you know, he has a crush on you. I can't put it in a clearer way"

"But...I never really noticed it before..." Blaze said quietly. "He blushed around me now and then, but I thought that was because I was a princess, because I was royalty"

"That's a factor too" Stamatis explained. "It's almost fairy tale like for him, his fantasies and such. But he's been very nervous lately, and he keeps asking me to ask you what you think of him, and what you feel about him, things like that" he explained.

"...So should I talk to him?" she asked. Stamatis nodded.

"If you could...that would be very good" he replied. Blaze nodded to herself.

"So when should I speak to him?" she asked.

"Funnily enough, he's expecting you now" Stamatis answered, smiling a little. "Go easy on him; the last thing I want is a heart broken boy on the team"

"I'll be careful" Blaze replied. Stamatis then stepped forward towards Blaze.

"Blaze..." he said quietly. "...thank you"

A few minutes later, Blaze was changed out of her dressing gown and into more casual clothes. She followed Stamatis down to his and Milos's room, before turning around to Blaze.

"I'll be waiting out here when you're done" he said. Blaze nodded, and then took a deep breath before opening the door.


	21. The Crush

Chapter 21: The Crush

She walked in, watching as Milos looked up quickly before blushing uncontrollably. He ran towards his bed and sat on it, hiding his head in his hands. Blaze closed the door behind her and watched as the submissive Milos almost curled into a ball at the sight of her.

"Milos...are you okay?" she asked quietly. Milos didn't answer. Blaze sighed quietly to herself and took a step forward.

"...I asked if you were okay, Milos. Are you?" Blaze asked, slightly more assertive.

"Go away" Milos replied suddenly, his pose unmoved. Blaze's eyes opened slightly at the gesture; surely he couldn't be that nervous?

"...I wanted to have a chat with you about something" Blaze explained. She walked up to Milos's bed and sat on the edge of it, slightly uncomfortable about what Milos's reaction could be.

"He told you, didn't he?" Milos said quietly. "Why did he have to be so mean and tell you?"

"He must be thinking about his crush on me..." Blaze thought to herself, keeping her head down. She then lifted it to look at the curled Milos.

"...Well...Stamatis and I did have a talk about you..." she said quietly. "...I just wanted to ask you about how you felt"

Milos couldn't reply. He stayed completely still, his feet dangling off the edge of the bed, his body hunched in his curl. Blaze sighed heavily and moved a little closer to him.

"Are you nervous of me?" she asked. "You don't have to be nervous; I'm not going to be nasty to you. Not like your brother" she added, giggling a little at the falsity of her claim.

"...But it's embarrassing..." Milos said silently.

"You think it's embarrassing?" Blaze asked. "Milos, it's a very brave thing for you to be telling me this. You shouldn't be embarrassed at all"

"But I know you don't like me...like that" Milos uttered. "You've got a boyfriend anyway..."

"Oh, come on now, don't be silly!" Blaze said with enthusiasm, rubbing Milos's back, to which he flinched upon contact. "There's no need for you to be so sad because of that! I'm flattered you have a crush on me, I didn't think I was that attractive!"

Blaze then noticed that Milos was slowly beginning to uncurl himself. He remained hunched, but his red flushed face was revealed. Blaze felt sorry for how embarrassed Milos must have been. Blaze didn't feel particularly grand at times when she and Silver were falling in love; she could almost say that the feeling was mutual.

"...I just...really like you...and stuff" Milos stuttered. "I like making you armour and...well, when I get the chance, I want to make you a really cool sword, but I'm afraid you won't like it"

"Milos...I want you to look at me for a minute" Blaze asked. Milos's head didn't move.

"Milos...please" she asked again. Milos then lifted his head, but didn't look at Blaze's eyes. Only now and then he would intermittently shoot a gaze towards her face, too shy to look at her for too long.

"This adventure that we've been on..." she said. "It's been quite stressful at times. You do know that there is a lot at stake here. I mean, my boyfriend, I might never see him...ever again, you know? And I really do miss him. I really do..."

Blaze then looked down to the floor herself. "In fact, before he was kidnapped, we had an argument. It wasn't our first, and it was pretty heated. I lost my temper with him and he walked out on me. I haven't seen him since he walked away...and I never got the chance to apologise to him. Just the fact that I may never be able to ask for his forgiveness...it's really hard for me. Do you understand what I'm saying?" she explained. "You have your whole life ahead of you, and you have plenty of time to make your mind up about whom you want to spend your life with. But with me...if I ever see him again, I know I want to be with him. Can you understand this?" she asked.

Milos remained still for a few seconds before he looked up towards Blaze and looked her confidently in the eyes.

"...I get it" he said, his meekness gone slightly. "If he means so much...then I want to do what I can to help. It might not be much, and big brother may do a lot more than I can, but I'll do my best. I'll do it for you!" he said. Blaze felt her heart warm at the gesture.

"Give me a hug, Milos" she asked, opening her arms. Milos was slightly reluctant, but Blaze gave him a warm smile that enticed him to edge closer. Blaze closed her arms around Milos and held him tightly to her chest, resting her head on top of his. Milos's arms slowly linked behind Blaze's back, and the two were locked in a cuddly embrace. Milos could feel himself melting against the soft, warm caress.

"There you go..." she said quietly. "Do you feel better now?"

"Mmm...you're so warm..." Milos replied. Blaze giggled and released her grip, before looking at Milos. The boy was so cute; she just had to do one more thing to put him in a good mood.

"And since you've been such a good boy, you can have a kiss!" she said. Milos's eyes opened, completely stunned. But before he could react. Blaze softly held his head and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, giggling a little afterwards. Milos's face exploded into a sea of red, utterly bowled over by the gesture. Stamatis walked in just as Blaze was standing up from the bed.

"Is everything sorted?" he asked. Blaze gave a nod, looking at Milos who had curled back into a ball, but revealing his eyes that were fixed on Blaze.

"Yeah...I think he'll be just fine" she explained.

"Thank you very much, Blaze" Stamatis said. He then turned to Milos. "Right, Captain Charisma. Time for bed" he said. Milos nodded enthusiastically and turned off his lamp, digging himself as deeply as he could down into his quilt.

"Big brother will be back in now; I just need to have a chat with Blaze about one more thing. Blaze, if you would follow me outside, there's one more thing I must tell you"

Blaze was going to be in for a shock as she walked through the open door, followed by Stamatis. One that would place a weight on her heart for the rest of the adventure.


	22. Stamatis and Milos

Chapter 22: Stamatis and Milos

Blaze instantly saw as they walked out into the corridor that Stamatis seemed troubled. He closed the door and turned to Blaze.

"Listen, thank you so much for talking to him" he said. "It's been a load off his mind...and mine"

"Think nothing of it Stamatis" Blaze said, raising her hands. "He is just a young boy after all. He didn't do anything wrong, he just needed a little encouragement"

"I need to tell you something about me and Milos" Stamatis said suddenly, causing Blaze to fall silent. Stamatis took a deep breath and started to talk.

"...Back in Carachino...when I explained about our parents being arrested, sentenced to death and then fleeing..." he said. "How me and Milos roughed it out as bros..."

There was a sudden silence before Stamatis took a deep breath.

"...It isn't true"

Blaze was gob smacked. She stood there; staring at the man who she thought all along was just one of a pair of troubled brothers travelling with her.

"...Who are you..." Blaze uttered quietly, in awe of the revelation. Stamatis sighed deeply as well, looking down and tutting to himself. His head was shaking before he looked back up.

"...I am still Stamatis, and he's still Milos" Stamatis said, gesturing to the door. "...But we're not brothers. We're not even related..."

Blaze couldn't believe a word that she was hearing. She suddenly realised why the two didn't bear nay resemblance to each other whatsoever.

"...Then why are you..." she asked.

"Travelling together?" Stamatis interrupted, predicting Blaze's words perfectly. He then let out another sigh, quite unable to believe his own revelation.

"...My mother died as she gave birth to me" Stamatis revealed. "My father thought I was a curse. He hated me, and he abused me verbally and physically because he thought I killed our mother. Then, when I was five, he decided to abandon me in Carachino and vanish. I haven't seen him since, and I'm glad I haven't either..." he explained quietly and bitterly. Blaze was experiencing a wave of emotions that were thrashing against her head, her face unmoved. Stamatis continued with his explanation.

"I learned how to fight and made my living off doing favours for the Carachino townspeople, being paid meagrely to try and live. I managed to build myself a shabby twig house in which I sheltered in. Luckily, when it rained, the innkeeper would be nice to me and let me have a free room and some food, mainly because he felt sorry for me. It was really tough, but I was too young to believe in giving up and dying. I just wanted to keep living, no matter what, and make a better person out of myself"

Blaze could feel tears coming to her eyes, listening to the heart-rending story. A question continued to beg in her mind, one which escaped her lips.

"...What about Milos?" she asked, trying to speak through her tear-choked throat.

"...Eight years ago, when I was twelve years old..." Stamatis started. "A baby was dropped by at the inn. He appeared to be a newborn baby, just days old, delivered by the inn's door in a basket. There was a note attached saying that the baby was named Milos" he explained.

"You mean...Milos is an orphan?" Blaze asked, scared to know if her thoughts were true.

"I'm not so sure" Stamatis replied. "I remember walking into the inn and seeing the inn workers all huddle around the bar, staring at this baby in the basket. I wanted to see it too, and I got to see the note. It was from his parents, explaining about their poverty and the fact that they hadn't enough money to care for him. I remember seeing Milos's face for the first time, crying. I knew there was a connection; I had lived the most crucial years of my life alone and I was so desperate for the company, even if it meant sacrificing my own well being"

"So you...raised him yourself?" Blaze questioned.

"I did" Stamatis replied. "It took some time, and I had to work my butt off to get enough money to provide for me and him. But as he grew, he fell in love with building things. He also discovered his ability to fly using his tails, which I thought was magic when I first saw it. Combining his building and his flying, he certainly did a lot of good when it came to not only helping people out for money, but building our own things, like the barn we have now which shelters us" he explained.

Blaze looked at the door, unable to imagine that such an innocent looking child was in charge of so much in his life.

"Wow...he's really done a lot, hasn't he?" she murmured.

"I know" Stamatis said. "But I can still remember him as a little child. I remember the nights when me and him were together and he was just a baby, when the cold breeze would start blowing, he would start crying and I'd have to hug him and keep him warm. I've been a mother, father and brother to Milos. And...*sniff*..." Stamatis said, suddenly choking up and becoming teary eyed. Blaze took a step closer, offering a hand of reassurance. Stamatis allowed her to place a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"You've been through so much..." Blaze said quietly. "...The both of you"

"...Blaze..." Stamatis said quietly. Her arm progressed into a warm hug, placing her head on his shoulder and blowing quietly on his neck. She wouldn't usually do this to someone, but Stamatis suddenly felt so vulnerable and afraid, she just wanted him to feel better.

"I don't care if you've lied to me" she said quietly. "...You're my friend now. You and Milos. I told Milos about my hardships and the pain I'm going through, knowing I may never see Silver again. I can sympathise..." she said quietly. "Are you going to tell Milos about this?"

"No" Stamatis replied. "...I'll wait until he's older and begins to question it..."

There was a silence between the both of them as they stood there, hugging, seeking comfort in either one.

"...I really love the kid, you know..." Stamatis said quietly. "...He's a pal, a good partner, a...a brother...he's everything I could have wished for and more, he's a blessing. Even if he grates on me sometimes, he's...he's the part of me I don't ever want to let go. I really love him...so much...*sniff*..."

That night was a sleepless night for everybody except Milos. Even Wolfgang lay in his bed, scared of what was to come. Because when the morning would come, they would only have nine days left...


	23. Deep Within the Castle

Chapter 23: Deep Within the Castle

_"Sir, the castle has landed successfully"_

"Good work. Tell me Delago, how long until the ship can be refuelled and ready to lift off once again?"

_"Five days, sir. Does this fit in with your plans?"_

"Indeed it does. I believe there are nine days left now until Silver's soul has fully drained"

_"Yes...the fools haven't a clue of what is to happen at that time. I have kept them trembling in suspense at the thought of the countdown"_

"And that way it shall remain. Those heroes will not be discovering the meaning of their remaining time. And as long as we remain undiscovered as we refuel, then everything will go according to plan"

_"Excellent sir. If it is not too much trouble, I would like to ask of Marcelino's involvement in all of this? You have yet to reveal this to anyone in the castle but yourself"_

"I believe it was you who demanded patience when Branko asked the same question..."

_"I did, but..."_

"Then speak no more. Still, I can reveal that Marcelino's involvement is of extreme importance. The plan cannot succeed without him"

_"This is to do with the artefact, right?"_

"Yes...that is exactly right. Has your mind had enough appeasement now?"

_"I shall ask no further questions, my lord"_

"Good. Now, have you the reports for refuelling?"

_"I do, my lord. Since we took off for the first time, which was about twelve days ago, the radiation scale of the landing site was at 7.8. Since our return now, it has dropped to 4.5, which is safe enough for our men to exit the castle"_

"And are all the Maldion extraction units still operational?"

_"Yes, my lord. The machines have been doing their job extracting Maldion from the mines since we first took off. There are plenty of stored reserves to which we will refuel the castle with"_

"Excellent. Maldion is such a wonderful element...nothing else could possibly power this castle to the same level of power than it does now"

_"I agree my lord. A magnificent mineral if I may say so"_

"Enough. We cannot tarry with the refuelling"

_"Indeed. I'll be going now"_

"...Nine days...and the world will be mine..."


	24. The Last Stretch

Chapter 24: The Last Stretch

The following morning, the group left Viteon, pressing on further towards Laleh. Their journey was almost at its end, but Blaze was still intrigued as to what Wolfgang's precise plan would be once they arrived. She decided to ask.

"Wolfgang?" she asked as they all rode at a moderate pace.

"Yes, Blaze?" Wolfgang answered.

"When we arrive at Laleh...what is our plan from there?" she asked. "I imagine it would be slightly different as to what we had originally planned"

"Not much different" Wolfgang remarked. "It'll take us at least two days to get to Laleh, which gives us a week according to Delago's countdown" Wolfgang explained. "My plan is to meet the residing figure of authority and work closely with him or her to try and solve this castle problem of ours. Plus, I have deduced that the castle will appear once more, and that is when we strike"

"Why do you think the castle will re-appear?" Stamatis asked, who was riding at the other side of Wolfgang.

"Twice now it has sent members of this 'Caelus Guard' to try and slow us down or so. Plus, they know that Silver is associated with us"

"So you're saying they'll strike again?" Blaze guessed. Wolfgang nodded in response.

"If they're that desperate to slow us down, then I'm sure with the time we have left they'll want to attack us one more time" Wolfgang explained. "For now, we press on towards Laleh. Maybe we can stop this castle before it's too late..."

The days and nights passed rather slowly. They slept in the fields and travelled them during the days. The ground was even on the entire stretch towards Laleh. As the two days passed, the group stopped as they caught sight of the city that they had been travelling to for the last two weeks.

It was a large castle city, much like Zanskar, which seemed to tower on into the sky. It looked very intricate and rather beautiful, with castle spires and turrets rising high into the sky, the entire city surrounded by large red and grey walls. Blaze knew herself that Laleh was one of the biggest cities in the world, and it certainly did show. Perhaps it wasn't the world's head of authority like Zanskar Castle was, but it had quite an important role to play in the world's management.

But what stuck out most to the group as they watched the city, was not the rolling green fields that sat in front of it, nor the mountain range that sat close behind, but the great thicket of clouds that cast an ominous darkness over the city.


	25. Laleh

Chapter 25: Laleh

The group were forced to put on their cloaks as they went beneath the clouds for it was drizzling. There was a wind blowing as well; one which didn't seem to cease. The entrance revealed a rather empty, depressing town square with a defunct fountain in the middle and many cobble stone passages leading deep into the heart of the city.

"Wow...this place isn't so grand..." Stamatis said quietly.

"Everything looks so depressing" Milos muttered.

Then, a guard in metal armour holding a spear approached the group.

"Welcome to Laleh, travellers" he said. "I couldn't help but overhear your disdain for the appearance of our city"

"Oh, we didn't mean anything wrong by what we said" Wolfgang explained. "They were just meagre comments. Please accept our apologies if we offended you"

"There's no worry about that" the guard replied. "It hasn't stopped raining for two weeks now. Ever since that castle attacked us and kidnapped our king, we've been a victim to this drizzle"

"I had heard about your king's kidnapping" Blaze explained. "My name is Princess Blaze, the daughter of Tinder, king of Zanskar"

An audible gasp emitted from the guard's helmet as he jumped back in surprise.

"You...you are Princess Blaze?" he uttered. He suddenly bent down on a knee.

"Yes, and these are my companions, Wolfgang, Stamatis and Milos" she explained, gesturing to each member of the group as he hand moved across. "You don't need to bow"

The guard stood up on his feet, still quite surprised at who he was talking to.

"But...what brings such royalty as yourself to Laleh?" the guard asked. "Are you looking for the floating castle?"

"Exactly" Wolfgang replied. "May we speak with your current ruler?"

"Oh...o-of course!" the guard said quickly. "...Are you perhaps looking for a way to...destroy the castle?" he added.

"I suppose that's one of the reasons why we're here" Stamatis budged in.

"You mean...you're **actually **going to attempt such a feat?" the guard asked. The group nodded, and then Blaze cleared her throat.

"The castle has kidnapped someone very dear to me" she explained. "Thus that explains my appearance here. I'm here to save him"

"And we're taking the castle down while we're at it...if we can get to it, that is" Wolfgang explained. The guard nodded.

"I see" he said. "Well, because King Marcelino is missing, the royal council takes care of any diplomatic duties the king would usually fulfil. But the highest authority presiding now is Marcelino's daughter, Princess Lolita" the guard explained. "I shall take you to her now. Please follow me"

The group followed the guard through the city streets and past a set of ramparts into the castle's outer gardens. They then went inside the lavish castle, where they ascended different sets of stairs from lush grand staircases to circular stone tower stairs until they reached what appeared to be the top floor. They were in front of a large, arch shaped wooden door, much like the one back at Castle Zanskar. They stopped in front of it, where the guard told then to wait. He then slipped in between the doors and vanished for a few seconds before he revealed himself again.

"You have permission to enter" he said. Then, the guard heaved the doors open and allowed the group to walk into a large throne room, where there were pillars on either side, lined with guards, and a throne up the front. Sat in the throne...was a young girl.

She looked more alien than anything Blaze had seen before. She had hair and a head shaped like a budding flower, and she wore a leaf dress. Her skin was pale green, almost white, and she had rather large eyes and a porcelain smooth face. She was sat on the throne, which was too big for her, and her head was adorned with a silver and sapphire tiara.

The group walked up and bowed, but Milos was having trouble trying to keep his composure. As soon as his eyes met with hers, he felt as if he had just witnessed the goddess of beauty herself sitting on the throne. As he bowed, he kept his head down, trying to hide his blush.

"Greetings" the little girl said. She must have been about Milos's age, which made Milos even more nervous. "I am Princess Lolita. And you are Princess Blaze, are you not?" she asked. Her voice was high and innocent sounding, one that made Milos's heart thump.

"It's very nice to meet you, Princess Lolita" Blaze replied. "Although I wish the circumstances of our meeting could have been better..."

"I agree" Lolita said. "Let us address each other by first term names. I find it easier" she added. "Your friends are?"

"This is Wolfgang" Blaze said, gesturing to Wolfgang. "He's the Primary Commander of the Zanskar Castle forces, and o of the world's leading generals. I'm sure the captains in your army have heard of him" she explained.

"It is a pleasure to meet you" Wolfgang said, bowing.

"This is Stamatis, someone we ran into in Carachino, a town across the Badon Sea" Blaze continued, moving her hand to point at Stamatis. "He's a very good fighter and has helped us quite a bit. He's travelling with us to aid in defeating the floating castle" she explained.

"Nice to meet you" Stamatis said, nodding. Blaze then moved her hand to a slightly red Milos.

"And this is Milos" she finished. "Stamatis's younger brother. He's very good at inventing and building things, especially weapons and armour. He and Stamatis work together to make a living, so it was only fair he could come along. Plus, he made this armour I'm wearing now" she explained, gesturing to herself. Milos managed a bow and a nervous nod.

"N-nice to...meet you, ma'am" he said, trying to control his stutter as a result of his nerves. Lolita giggled a little; it was clear that there was a slight blush on her cheeks as well from the reaction. Then, she turned her head to Blaze.

"So you've come to try and defeat the castle?" Lolita asked.

"That's correct" Wolfgang replied. "A soldier at Zanskar Castle named Silver was kidnapped about two weeks ago by the floating castle. We thought that there might be a connection between the kidnapping of Silver and King Marcelino, so we are investigating. Plus, we've encountered some of the people on the castle" he explained.

"Yes...the Caelus Guard" Lolita said quietly.

"You know of them?" Blaze asked. Lolita nodded, hopping off the throne.

"They day my father was kidnapped, they left a letter on the throne, saying that the Caelus Guard had kidnapped him and that they would one day return for something a lot more valuable..." she explained. "...Please follow me. I wish to show you something" The group soon found themselves following Lolita out of the throne room and down a few flights, towards a room that appeared to be high up on the castle, a conservatory which would hold something that would bring back harsh memories...

**Doesn't the description of Lolita sound somewhat familiar? Well, it's none other than an alter ego of Cosmo, from the Sonic X anime! I knew a Tails (or Milos in this story) romance would be a nice twist, and what's a Tails romance without Cosmo in it? So she's the last character from the series to make an appearance, just so there aren't so many original characters taking up the spotlight. Hope you're enjoying so far, and don't forget to drop a review! Happy face.**


	26. The Elemental Tomes

Chapter 26: The Elemental Tomes

The group followed Lolita into a large hexagonal shaped room. On the opposite three sides of the hexagon room they entered were giant glass windows that showed the fringes of the city and the large mountain ranges ahead.

"This room is rather special. It holds many valuable treasures and it's also my father's office" Lolita explained. She was telling the truth; on the walls were a lot of priceless pictures and there were many golden and platinum ornaments sat on fancy wooden tables on the edges of the room. The group instantly took notice to the two great pictures that were either side of the door they entered through. One of them showed a young woman who resembled Lolita greatly, but older. There were leaves in her head that acted as her hair and she was taller and slimmer than Lolita, judging by the picture's scaling. On the other side though, showed a wolf-human hybrid, standing with a proud face, his body adorned with large golden armour and a billowing purple cape. The man seemed to be wielding a very large, decorated gold and platinum axe.

"Wow...those pictures are fantastic..." Blaze said quietly. "...Who's in them?"

"Those...are my parents" Lolita explained. "That's my mother, Teresa and...my father, Marcelino" she explained. Blaze paid particular attention to the portrait of Marcelino; she had never seen the man before. He certainly looked strong.

"As you can see, I inherited a lot more of my mother's genes than my father's..." Lolita mentioned, gesturing to herself. It was true; she bore no resemblance to her father at all. In fact, she appeared to be a completely different species.

"So where is your mother?" Wolfgang asked. "Was she kidnapped as well?"

"Uh...well..." Lolita said, stopping and scratching her head. Milos noticed that she seemed a little pained.

"...Are you okay?" Milos asked, trying to set aside his slight nerves.

"It's okay...it's just..." Lolita said slowly. "...I've never seen my mother in person" she said.

"What?" Stamatis remarked suddenly.

"All I know is that...well, after I was born, she vanished" Lolita explained. "...I don't know why"

"That's...sad" Wolfgang uttered quietly. "...To have both your mother and father leave you to try and keep control over things. These circumstances are very harsh"

"It's okay though..." Lolita said, smiling. "I always look up to my mother, even if I've never seen her. It's this portrait that reminds me of how beautiful my mother is...or was" she explained. "Besides, I wanted to show you something even more important. Follow me"

Lolita turned around walking towards the middle of the room, where there was a glass display covered by a red shawl. She walked up to it and clutched on a pulley mechanism on the side. The group gathered around to see it.

"This is our most treasured possession" she explained. Then, she pulled the pulley and the shawl lifted from the cabinet, causing both Wolfgang and Blaze to gasp in horror at what they saw.

They stood in awe as the artefact sat in front of them, shielded by the glass case. Both Stamatis and Milos turned to look at Blaze and Wolfgang, who couldn't believe their eyes.

"Hey, you guys okay?" Stamatis asked.

"You look shocked to see it" Milos added. "What's so strange about a nice looking sword?"

"I know why you're shocked" Lolita mentioned. Blaze's head slowly turned towards Lolita.

"...How...?" she said quietly.

"We found it outside the castle gates three years ago" Lolita explained. "The elders deciphered what it was straight away. It's the Hestia Blade" she confirmed.

The two couldn't believe what they were seeing. The haunting memories of their struggle to defeat Gustav three years ago were rushing back to their heads like a torrential wave. A never ending gush of painful memories was coming back in their minds.

"But I saw Blaze...destroy it...three years ago, when Gustav was vanquished..." Wolfgang mumbled in awe.

"There's a lot to explain, but we know why it's here" Lolita explained. "Have you ever heard of the term 'Elemental Tome' before?" she asked. Her question was met by shaking heads.

"Well, when we found the blade, my father picked it up, but wasn't possessed by it" Lolita explained. "We brought it here and placed it in the glass cabinet, and here's it's stayed for three years now. The elders of this castle looked into some old lore books and discovered that this is in fact an Elemental Tome" she explained. "The six forces of existence, light, dark, earth, wind, water and fire, each have an Elemental Tome. These Elemental Tomes were weapons used by their respective gods many millennia ago, and today, they stand as the artefacts that represent their wielder's power" she explained.

"Does that mean the Sol Emeralds are also an Elemental Tome?" Blaze asked. Lolita nodded.

"Yes, they are" she answered. "There are others out there as well for earth, wind, light and dark, but we've yet to discover them. And hopefully, we'll never need to either"

"I still don't understand why it's here" Wolfgang noted. "Not only did we destroy it, but if the Hestia Blade could possess Gustav, then why did Marcelino resist it?" he asked.

Lolita closed her eyes for a second, before opening them up again.

"Well, I know that an Elemental Tome can never be properly destroyed" she explained. "When they do break, they reform elsewhere instantly. But my father didn't get possessed..."

"We did use the Sol Emeralds to shatter the Hestia Blade" Blaze mentioned. "Maybe the spirit of Galvaria within was weakened enough to be unable to possess?"

"Galvaria..." Lolita said quietly. "He's the god of water, isn't he? The one who attempted to freeze the planet until the god of fire, Sol, came and stopped him" Lolita explained. Blaze nodded; surprised that Lolita knew so much about it.

"In any case, it's remained here ever since we found it" Lolita finished. "Now...I think its best we move on. I need to show you to your rooms..."


	27. The Plan

Chapter 27: The Plan

Wolfgang and Blaze were allocated into separate rooms next door to each other. The rooms were very lavish and luxurious, with great plush beds, fantastic ornaments and more money's worth than the eye could see. The views were great as well, with one large window revealing the world outside. It was a shame the sky was thick with clouds and there was a constant drizzle pattering against the large windows.

Inside Blaze's room, Wolfgang and Blaze were sat on opposite sides of the room, planning the objectives of the coming week. They knew after the night had finished, there would only be six days until Delago's countdown was finished. They still didn't know what it meant, but only time could tell what would happen.

"There's a lot we need to work out" Wolfgang explained. "We need to discover what's been causing this non-stop weather first. We also need to find out the meaning of Delago's countdown. All the while, we need to find a way to board the floating castle"

"Sound like there's a lot to do" Blaze mentioned. "May I suggest we spend tomorrow researching some of the lore and geography of this place? It'll help" she explained.

"Indeed it will" Wolfgang explained. "...I'm also curious investigate Lolita and her mother's disappearance" he added. Blaze stood up.

"That's a bit dangerous, don't you think?" she asked. "I mean, that's a person's personal information you're digging into there. I don't think it's that morally right. Maybe once we solve our problems with the floating castle, then you can ask Lolita if you're allowed to investigate" she explained. Wolfgang was silent for a couple of seconds before he spoke out.

"I just think that maybe there are further connections concerning our situation with the floating castle and Teresa's vanishing" he suggested.

"You think there might be a connection?" Blaze asked.

"Well, it sounds convincing..." Wolfgang mentioned.

Downstairs, both Milos and Stamatis were in Milos's room. Stamatis was explaining to Milos what he should do every morning, seeming that this was the first time Milos was going to be by himself in a room during the night.

"...now you always have to brush your teeth, and when you wake up in the morning, shower thoroughly and make sure you look presentable" he explained.

"Aw, Stamatis!" Milos moaned. "I can look after myself!"

"You're only eight" Stamatis replied. "If I had things my way, I'd be in here looking after you. But...I suppose you have to learn to be independent, even at your young age. I did" he explained, looking wistfully towards the window. He thought of the harsh upbringing he had, and wished that Milos would never have to go through anything as bad in his life.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Milos asked.

"I chatted with Wolfgang, he suggests we read up on some intel and lore so we get our bearings on this place before we make any drastic decisions" Stamatis explained.

"Do you think they'll have any books on flying machines?" Milos asked. Stamatis shrugged.

"I dunno" he replied. "Sounds like a pretty unrealistic thing to write a book on. I mean, most flying machines that are around these days are powered by hot air balloon. I still can't believe you're so eager to try and build your own flying machine that will shoot off at the speeds of sound"

"I'm gonna...you'll see" Milos tutted.

"Hey, what about the books Maxwell gave you?" Stamatis asked. Milos looked at the few books he took with him.

"They were alright..." Milos said quietly. "...But there's not much in there that I wanted to read. Plus it's kinda irrelevant to the quest, in my opinion"

"Hey, I'm glad you got over your crush!" Stamatis said, changing the topic. Milos's face turned to one of paranoia.

"What do you mean?" he asked, slightly fearful.

"Well, I know red isn't your usual skin colour, especially around you cheeks. But I saw you, the first glimpse you got of Lolita and you were bright as a lamp!" Stamatis teased.

"Oh, shut up!" Milos shouted, hitting at Stamatis. Stamatis couldn't stop laughing, blocking Milos's pathetic attempts to hurt him.

Meanwhile, up near the throne room, Lolita was being tucked into bed by one of the maids.

"Goodnight, Princess Lolita" the maid said, blowing out the candles on the wall. She then closed the door, leaving Lolita in a room lit by one candle by her bedside. She turned to it and picked up a picture frame. It was the portrait of her mother, just like in the hexagon conservatory, just smaller. She kissed the photo and looked at it for a little.

"Goodnight...mother" she said quietly. She then placed it back on her bedside and blew out her candle, engulfing the room in darkness.


	28. Mystery of Zephyr Ruins

Chapter 28: Mystery of Zephyr Ruins

The following morning, the group were down in the libraries of the castle, researching on different kinds of information, such as Laleh lore, nearby locations and geography, and other things in general. Blaze, Wolfgang and Stamatis were all gathered around one table, reading up on a lot of books concerning the geography and lore.

"Look what I found here, guys" Blaze explained. "There's a section here in this lore book that talks about the god of wind..."

"The god of wind?" Stamatis asked. "Let me in on it"

"Well, the god of wind, according to this book, is named Garuda" Blaze explained. "The pictures here depict him as an anthropomorphic eagle, who carries a bow and arrow, named Cestus into battle"

"My guess is that Cestus is the Elemental Tome of wind, then?" Wolfgang deduced.

"Apparently, Garuda used Cestus once to stop a gigantic tsunami that was coming from the ocean. The arrows he fired from Cestus were so powerful that the winds it left behind was strong enough to blow the waves away from the shores, stopping the planet from becoming engulfed within the sea"

"Sea...water...by any chance was this Galvaria's work?" Wolfgang asked. "He is the god of water, after all"

Blaze nodded in contemplation, looking up at Wolfgang.

"If so, then that's twice that Galvaria has tried to plunge to world under his grasp. Remember, he almost started an ice age before Sol stopped him"

"Sounds like a pretty nasty god to me" Stamatis remarked.

"According to this, the tsunami took place before Galvaria's battle with Volstead, in which he lost due to the power of the Sol Emeralds. Anyway, it's fabled that Garuda spent his life living within a great castle, called Zephyr Castle. His last wish before he died was to be buried on the highest mountain in the planet, so his ascension to the heavens wouldn't be as hard" she explained. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"And according to this map" Wolfgang added. "Within the mountain range nearby here, there is a blank section labelled the Zephyr Ruins" he explained. "The reason there is little detail here is because the cliffs are so hard to traverse that no cartographer has successfully been able to map it"

"In addition, as of these last couple of weeks, something worse has been happening"

The group turned their heads to see Lolita walking towards them.

"Lolita?" Stamatis said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Wolfgang asked. Lolita took a seat on the empty chair in the circle, making herself comfortable. Her face gave the impression that somewhing was weighing down on her soul.

"Well...my father vanished about two weeks or so ago because he ventured for the mountains" Lolita explained. "...He hasn't been found. And neither have any of the search parties that went to look for him"

The group remained silent for a few seconds, swallowing the new information.

"So...they disappeared as well?" Blaze asked. Lolita nodded, her hands clenched together.

"We don't know why they vanish...but we're afraid to keep sending searchers out to the mountains" she said. "For all I know, they could be dead. The council make the decisions around here, but I think they've caught on to the fact that they may be dying in those mountains. I think they're haunted..."

"You think that the Zephyr Ruins could have something to do with this?" Wolfgang asked.

"Maybe Garuda's spirit, or something like that, is haunting the ruins" Stamatis explained. "Or maybe its booby trapped"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure your father would be okay. He didn't go out alone, did he?" Blaze asked. Lolita nodded in response.

"He had two guards with him. I can't remember what they looked like, but they were some of my father's favourite guards"

"It's hard to call" Wolfgang said. "Maybe we should investigate these ruins and see what's causing the vanishings. Maybe if we tread carefully, we won't 'vanish' ourselves"

"In any case, I wish not to be a burden" Lolita said, moving off the chair. "Please continue without me"

She then turned around and saw Milos sitting in a chair by himself, embroiled in a book of his own. The group didn't mind him reading something else; in fact, it would have helped speed up the process of learning about the area.

Lolita felt a little sorry for him though. She didn't like it when people were alone, she could understand the feeling herself. The Laleh council were in charge of the city's decisions. Lolita always felt left out as a result, and she didn't really have any friends her age in the castle. She decided that making friends with Milos would be a good idea.

She walked up to him, ready to greet.

"Hello" she said. Milos looked up and suddenly gasped in surprise. He did not expect Lolita to approach him.

"Oh!" he yelped. "Uh...h-hi..." he said quietly. Lolita giggled, instantly sensing Milos's nerves.

"What are you reading?" she asked. Milos looked down intensely at his book, gripping the hardback edges to attempt to stop his shaking nerves.

"I...uh...it's stupid...r-really" Milos stuttered. Lolita sighed, was everyone this nervous around her? She shuffled a little closer, putting on her most comforting smile.

"...Are you nervous?" she asked, jumping up onto the large seat, sitting next to him. He became all red and looked down in his book again.

"Oh...I-I'm...just nervous around girls...and stuff" he said. "I'm n-no good with talking to people...h-honest"

Lolita giggled again. "Let's be friends" she said, smiling at Milos and extending a hand.

Milos looked at Lolita, taking a deep breath. There was a faint idea in his mind that convinced him that this girl meant no harm to him, so why should he be nervous? His nerves clamed slightly as he nodded, managing a smile. He th took Lolita's hand. He felt rather light headed as he grasped the softness of her hand, shaking it. He then let go, retracting it back to the comfrot of his own thigh.

"Yeah...that'll be nice" he said, urging a smile.

"So what's in this book?" Lolita asked, looking over a little. "Don't worry if it's strange or anything. I like almost any kind of book" she explained. Milos looked back at his book and collected all the information in his head. He was reading a book about the element of the wind.

"Well...I'm kinda reading about the wind element and stuff like that" he explained.

"You mean, like Garuda?" Lolita asked. Milos smiled a little, becoming more enthusiastic to share his information.

"Yeah, just like that!" he said. "Well, I'm reading about Garuda's special flying machine. I want to build a flying machine myself one day" he explained.

"Really?" Lolita asked. Milos nodded in return.

"I haven't got any good materials though. Plus, according to this, Garuda's flying machine was powered by this stuff called Maldion. I've never heard of it before, but it's supposed to be the fuel that drove his machine" he explained. Lolita's eyes opened up a little.

"Oh, I know what Maldion is!" she said. "It's an ore that emits a high powered wind blast when it's exposed to heat" she explained. "We have some in the castle, down in the cellars"

"You do?" Milos asked.

"That's right, want me to show you?" Lolita asked, jumping off the large seat. Milos was a little hesitant at first, but put aside his fears and put his book down, jumping off the seat.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Milos replied.

"Cool, let's go!" Lolita announced, walking towards the exit of the library. Milos followed her, being completely unnoticed by the rest of the group who had their head stuck inside their books, completely oblivious to the marvels of instant-grow friendships amongst younger people.

**Seriously, I mean eight year olds make friends within five minutes of meeting each other. They can also be worst enemies within eight minutes... (Not that that will happen in this story, rest assured). Also, if you do not understand the whole Galv there's a menstead arc, then look at the prequel, there's a mensh in there somewhere about it, divulging more information than it does here in the sequel. Hope you're still enjoying this long and epic yarn!**


	29. Miracle Material

**I was away at my caravan for the weekend, so in order to make up for the slight delay, I shall be posting Chapter 30 tomorrow.**

Chapter 29: Miracle Material

Milos followed Lolita through the twisting corridors and rooms of the castle, heading down different sets of stairs that led deeper and deeper into the underground. As they passed to below ground level, the walls and rooms became a lot more dark and dirty. Travelling through it, it was clear that part of the underground was linked with the city's sewage network, with canals full of sewage flowing through. The journey was rather adventurous for Milos, who had never seen such a complicated network before.

But soon, they travelled through a short black corridor before reaching a rusted steel door. As Lolita grabbed the wheel and turned it, opening the door, she said "Here we are!"

Behind the door was a large metal vault full to the brim with yellow, almost topaz coloured rocks. Some were big boulders whilst others were small pebbles, but on the raised platform both Lolita and Milos were standing on, they could see that there was a lot of the stuff in there.

"This stuff is Maldion?" Milos asked.

"That's right" she said. "Watch this"

She picked up a rock which was the size of her hand. She then breathed warm air onto it, and suddenly the edge of the rock became rather gooey, all the while exerting a fog that vanished into thin air.

"Wow, you were right!" Milos said in wonder, watching the fizzling rock in Lolita's hand. "How does it all work?"

"Well, like I said, Maldion is a material that exerts air when it is exposed to heat. The hotter the heat, the stronger the burst of air. Plus, the air lasts a long time too. It'd take a few minutes for this rock to dissolve into nothing" she explained.

"How do you know all this stuff?" Milos asked. Lolita gave a sigh as she placed the diminishing rock against the floor.

"I learn it from my tutors" she said. "It's quite boring trying to learn about everything, including about Maldion" she said.

"I think it's fascinating" Milos said, still looking at the dissolving rock in wonder. "So this was the stuff that Garuda apparently used to power his flying machine..." he added, referencing the book he was reading earlier.

"How big was it?" Lolita asked.

"It wasn't very big..." Milos said quietly. "It wasn't a floating castle, but it was about the same size as an albatross, I guess" he explained. "It had large wings, and the Maldion was held in its stomach, where it would exert energy and cause it to fly at great speeds" he explained.

"Wow...fascinating" Lolita said quietly. "...Didn't you say you wanted to build a flying machine one day?" she asked.

"Oh...yeah" Milos replied, seeming a little down. "But it seems so unrealistic. I mean, the only flying machines out there right now are hot air balloons...and the floating castle. If only I knew how that worked..."

There was a short silence. Lolita was contemplating an offer in her head, one which she was trying to gauge the repercussions.

"...Milos" she said. "...Maybe...you could try and build one using this Maldion?"

Milos looked at Lolita and saw by the expression on her face that she was quite serious.

"...You think I can do it?" he asked her. Lolita smiled and nodded, holding her hands together.

"Yeah, you can do it!" she said. "If you're good at building and stuff...then maybe you could do it! I'll let you use all the tools we have available, and you can work on it in one of our steelworks if you want" she suggested. Milos stepped closer; unable to believe the offer he was given. It was a chance to make his dream come true! He could build his own flying machine!

"You...really?" he uttered Lolita gave him one more nod, to which he fell back a couple of steps in awe, looking at all the Maldion that was sitting in the vault.

"...Th-thank you...so much!" Milos said, unable to control his smile. Lolita giggled, watching as Milos beamed at the offer he was just given. She couldn't help but think of Milos as a very sweet person...and before she knew it, she was starting to feel things that she wouldn't have imagined the last night...

As Milos returned to the library, heading for his book. Wolfgang noticed his arrival and stood up.

"Milos" he said. "A word, if you will"

Milos stopped his advance towards the book and watched as Wolfgang gestured for him to sit on one of the empty chairs. The rest of the group had vanished somewhere.

"What's wrong?" Milos asked as he sat on one of the chairs.

"We've decided to investigate Zephyr Ruins" he said. "The plan is that tomorrow, we shall discuss who will be best fit to investigate. If we all go, should we all vanish, then there will be nobody to stop the floating castle from wreaking havoc across Zanskar. But we need you" he said.

"Why do you need me for?" Milos asked suddenly. It was rare for anyone to need Milos. He felt somewhat important, sitting up straight in his chair.

"Well, the cliffs where the Zephyr Ruins reside are almost impossible to climb" Wolfgang explained. "Yet you have the ability to fly using your tails like propellers. I thought that if you could carry one person, and the two of you investigate what you can, then it'll be easier. Plus, you can fly, so nothing on the ground could possibly cause a kidnapping" he explained. "Will you help us out?"

Milos imagined himself carrying one of the team members from under their arms and lifting them over the dangerous cliffs. But he felt pretty confident about the offer, so he lifted his head and responded "Okay, I will"


	30. Diminishing Hope

Chapter 30: Diminishing Hope

He opened his eyes for another time. It wasn't right; one should feel an influx of energy in their body as they woke up, but he felt little to zero energy flowing through his body as he awoke. His mind felt weak and his insides were throbbing, calling out for some source of energy. Thentire room was near pitch black, with iron bars placed in front of him. He was trapped in a small stone room, with no windows. A cell. He truly felt weak and hopeless.

Why was he here? What did he do to place himself in this situation? And was his fate sealed? He questioned whether he would die in the darkened room.

Blaze. Her image was fading from his mind. It had been over two weeks since he was separated for her. He felt sick and guilty. The last time he saw her, it was when he walked out on her. What if he would never see her again? Was she thinking of him, stuck here in this hell? Upon letting his head drop, his eyes fell on his wrist, where a chain ties him to the cold stone walls.

There was the sound of a door opening from deep down in the corridor. He looked up towards his iron bars to see a faint light emerging. There were sounds of heavy, metal footsteps nearing closer towards him.

A silhouette within the darkness was all he could see emerging from the corner, standing in front of the metal bars. The figure appeared to have armour on and was rather a big figure as well. He knew it wasn't the person who brought him his disgusting food that he was forced to live off the last two weeks. This figure was new.

"...Heh heh heh..." the figure chortled. His voice was deep and resounding, echoing down the corridor.

"Who...who are you?" he asked weakly, sat against the stone wall, his head resting on the edge of his steel bed.

"Your suffering is almost at an end...Silver, is it?" the figure asked. Silver remained quiet, unable to mount much of a resistance against the man. "My, you look so thin...

Silver's head dropped, his eyes catching sight of his decaying body. His ribs were showing, and his bones where starting to show through his skin and in addition, his muscle was rapidly diminishing. He was emaciated in the cell, unable to do anything about it.

"My suffering...will never end" Silver retorted, only being able to lift his head slightly.

"The soul starving process is coming to an end" the man said. "In five days, you shall no longer suffer. You have a far more important role to play for us..."

Silver wheezed a breath out of his weary body. He couldn't decide whether to feel relived that his torture was coming to and end, or whether to dread what they were going to do to him once his time was up.

Silver watched the figure fold its arms.

"You may as well abandon all hope now..." the figure explained. "The castle lifts off once again tomorrow, and I'm afraid to say that you'll never feel it land again. It will be your final ascension...before it happens..."

"What's...that supposed to...mean?" Silver uttered. The figure let out a small chortle, his voice a low, powerful, yet occasionally hoarse sound.

"We've been tracking your friends. They are a feisty bunch, keen to show Branko and Delago what they're made of" the figure explained. "But that means little to us now. Once we reach the air, there will be no way they can even touch us. We'll become unstoppable, a real force to be reckoned with. Your friends haven't a chance in hell of saving you now"

"Ngh...Blaze...Blaze..." Silver uttered quietly, her faint image appearing in his head once more, the incompleted figure covered with holes due to his fading memory. The figure chortled once again, unfolding his arms and turning around.

"Keep hoping" he said. "In fact, it will only set you up for a rather nasty fall when you find out the reality of your situation. Then your soul will be crushed even more, and that can only be a benefit. Goodbye, Silver. Enjoy your stay..."

The figure vanished, leaving Silver lying against the wall, slowly but surely losing all hope to live. The will to survive was still inside him, but even he had to admit that within the dark walls and bars of his cell, his will to live was diminishing...

Meanwhile, back down in Laleh, the group had gathered in Blaze's room. Lolita had come in to join them and listen in on the plan.

"So, we've sussed out that we can't all go together" Wolfgang explained. "Should even we disappear in the mountains, then at least there are some of us who can continue in our fight to bring down the floating castle" he explained. "We've also decided that if we stay in the air, then the chances of us being seized or getting lost or anything that could cause us to 'vanish' will become minimal. There fore we shall be sending Milos as person number one" he explained. Milos nodded, aware of his role.

"So, who'll go with him?" Lolita asked.

"Well, because Blaze is the lightest to carry, even with armour on, I personally thought it would be best if she went" Wolfgang explained, looking at Blaze. "The only problem is, it's going to be hard explaining to Tinder about what happened if you vanish in the mountain range" he added. Blaze smiled and stood up.

"We'll be fine" Blaze explained. "After all, I do have flame powers. With Milos's flying skill and my flames, we're unlike a search party that's been sent before. Plus, I can use my flames to float, so that'll lessen the amount of weight Milos will have to carry" she explained.

"It sounds solid enough for me" Stamatis explained. "It's risky, so if there's any danger, you two come right back here. Especially you, Milos" Stamatis added, looking sternly at Milos.

"I say the same to you, Blaze" Wolfgang said. "This is an **exploration **mission, not a fighting adventure. Take your father's rapier, but try not to use it. Anything you can report back will be a step forward for us" he explained. Both Blaze and Milos nodded, looking at each other.

"In that case, we'll set off tomorrow morning" Blaze finalized.

The coming night, both Milos and Lolita were in Milos's room, chatting about the day ahead.

"I didn't know you could fly" Lolita said. Milos had been showing off to her, flying all around the room with his tails.

"I know, I got it when I was born" he explained, setting down next to Lolita on the edge of the bed. "I go lots of places to pick up materials. I've even come here a couple of times, but only in the streets" he added.

"You've been here before?" Lolita asked, a little surprised at Milos's recollection. Milos nodded, his tails flapping a little.

"Yeah, I can even fly over the Badon Sea" he said. "But it requires a good night's rest and a light load to carry. Otherwise I'd get tired and sink into the ocean and drown" he said.

"Eww...creepy" Lolita said quietly. The thought of drowning didn't really appeal to her very much. There was a small silence between the two before Lolita jumped off the bed.

"Well, I'm going to bed" she said. She walked towards the door and opened it, but before she could go, Milos jumped off the bed as well.

"Goodnight, Lolita" he said, somewhat quietly towards the end. Lolita looked at Milos, who seemed a little sad that they were parting.

"Goodnight...Milos" she said quietly, still looking at him. Then, after a prolonged stare, she continued through the door and left Milos by himself in the room.

**Well, wasn't that the chapter that you were all waiting for? In any case, we've almost hit the 100 review mark, and this has already been my most successful story on Fanfiction, so let the good times roll, people!**


	31. The Secret of the Mountains

Chapter 31: The Secret of the Mountains

The morning came, and both Milos and Blaze were outside the castle in the drizzling rain with the rest of the group and Lolita, standing near the feet of one of the mountains in the mountain range. Both Milos and Blaze had been outfitted with steel armour from the Laleh garrison leftovers. They seemed to fit rather well and would offer more protection to them than ever before. They were even rather shiny and well crafted as well, almost to the standard of Wolfgang's armour.

"Well, good luck, you two" Wolfgang said. "We'll be waiting in the castle when you return, Try to come back by the end of the day, even if you haven't found anything"

"And if you're in any danger, you come back at once, is that clear Milos?" Stamatis warned, just like a mother to a child. Milos nodded and looked at Lolita, who seemed a little concerned.

"Don't get hurt..." she said quietly. Then, Milos took a deep breath and started to spin his tails. At the same time, Blaze started to emit a weak fire burst from her feet, lessening her weight. Soon, the two were in the air and were heading over the top of the mountain and into the mountain range.

As they flew, Blaze started to speak.

"So we need to look around and see if we can find the Zephyr Ruins" she said. "Once we find it, we have to investigate and see whether it would have any importance or link to the floating castle. We might discover the reason behind the vanishings, and at best, we might even be able to find out where King Marcelino may have gone as a result" she explained.

"Sound like a plan!" Milos shouted back. "But isn't this rain getting harder?"

"I know, it's getting quite hard for me to keep afloat without using more fire energy. The wind's blowing stronger too" Blaze noticed.

The two continued to fly through the mountain range, looking down and scanning for any signs of a ruin. But as they dug into the range, the weather just seemed to be getting gradually worse. They quickened their pace and searched for what seemed to be an hour long. But after the hour, they noticed something that didn't seem to look as normal.

"Hey, I think I found something!" Milos explained, still holding Blaze by under her arms. "See over there? It looks like there's a pit amongst the mountains...like flatland!" he explained.

"I see it, let's go towards it!" Blaze shouted back. They were forced to shout because the weather was becoming rather extreme, made worse by the fact that they were travelling fast through the weather.

But as they neared the large alcove in the mountains, they gasped in unison. The sight that beheld them was so unrealistic, so un-thought of, that they had to set down near the peaks of one of the mountains just to survey the landscape below them. For sat down in the gap in front of them, with areas of it enshrouded by smoke and wooden and metal scaffolding and equipment...was a large castle.

"...This is the Zephyr Ruins?" Milos said in surprise. "But...just look at it! There's lava pits and mining equipment everywhere! And look...there are people walking about outside it!"

"I get it now..." Blaze said quietly. "These are the Zephyr Ruins...but it's not just that. I recognize the ramparts"

"No...You can't be serious..." Milos said quietly, suddenly catching on to Blaze's premonition. Blaze could only nod.

"It's Zephyr Ruins...and it's also the floating castle we've been in pursuit of"

They stood there, watching the activities that occurred around the castle. It was sat there amidst pools of lava and many steel pipes and smoking machinery. There were also a lot of drill machines and tractors moving about the area, machines that Blaze had never even seen before.

"It's all so...industrial...is this where the castle refuels?" she wondered. Milos suddenly noticed a strange looking rock on the floor and picked it up. He examined it, brining it close to his eye. The rock was mainly a charred stone, but it had small fragments of a topaz coloured gem inside it. For a test, he blew warm air on it.

Suddenly, the yellow crystal started to fizzle, releasing a small gust of air. Milos gasped and tapped Blaze's arm.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Look!" Milos said, pointing to the fizzling rock. "It's Maldion!"

"Maldion?" Blaze asked. She wasn't familiar with the material before.

"It's a special material that exerts wind when it is heated up. The hotter the atmosphere, the more volatile the release of wind. It also lasts a long time too..." he explained.

"So why are you telling me about this?" Blaze asked. Milos then dropped the rock and cleared his throat.

"Just look at all the digging and mining machines they have here..." Milos said. "I think they're mining Maldion here and using it to fuel the castle!"

"You think?" Blaze asked. "Is it really capable of exerting that much power?"

"I dunno...probably. I've only seen it react when I blow warm air onto it..." Milos said quietly.

Suddenly, there was a violent shaking, and alarms could be heard from down in the crevice. The two suddenly turned to witness something truly magnificent and frightening at the same time.

As the ground shook, they saw as smoke started to hiss out in a ring formation around the castle. There was an ear shattering noise of exploding energy as the ring suddenly emitted a bright blue light. Slowly, amidst a sea of smoke, the two watched in awe as the castle started to rise from the ground, accelerating slowly up into the air. The rock spire could be seen emerging from below, with the boosters emitting blue energy. The reaction between heat and Maldion must have been intense to cause such a huge noise and to lift such a giant thing, as well as create a blue flame.

Blaze quickly turned around to Milos.

"We have to go, now" she said. Milos agreed and grabbed Blaze by her arms again. Swiftly, they lifted into the air and set back towards the castle as fast as they possibly could. The castle did not follow them, but they knew that being anywhere near the floating castle was a terrible danger. As they headed back towards Laleh, the two of them were filled with a fear of dread at the immense display of power they had just seen, knowing that their task had just been put into perspective for them.


	32. The Science Behind Maldion

**The next person who reviews this story will hit a landmark. What landmark, may I add? Well, it is none other that this story's 100th review! So I extend my thanks once more!**

Chapter 32: The Science Behind Maldion

"What! You saw it!"

The rest of the group were in utter disbelief when they heard the news about Milos and Blaze's findings in the mountains.

"We swear, we saw the castle there, didn't we?" Milos said, looking at Blaze.

"We even saw it lift off!" she added. Wolfgang rubbed the back of his head, trying to comprehend what he had heard.

"But how?" he said. "How could a castle that size even lift off? It's just..." he said. Stamatis then stepped in.

"Milos, tell me what the surroundings looked like" he asked.

"Well, it kinda looked like it was surrounded by a mine" he said. "There was lots of digging machinery and lava pits and stuff"

"A mining complex?" Lolita said quietly. "Perhaps to fuel the ship?"

Milos then jumped, suddenly remembering something.

"I almost forgot!" Milos sprung suddenly. "I saw Maldion rocks in the area we were watching from. I think that's what they use to fuel the ship!"

"Maldion?" Wolfgang asked. "What's that?" Blaze then cleared her throat, eager to test her knowledge.

"According to Milos" she said. "Maldion is a substance that releases air when it is exposed to heat. The hotter the heat, the more powerful it's air release is. It also lasts a pretty long time; Milos breathed hot air onto it and I'm sure it was still fizzing when we decided to leave" she explained.

"So you're saying the castle is being kept afloat by a lot of air?" Stamatis asked.

"It's the stuff the wind god Garuda used to power his personal flying machine!" Milos noted.

"But we've seen blue flames come out from the castle's exhausts..." Wolfgang noted. "That's surely not air, is it?"

"Well...it is" Lolita intervened. "According to my biology lessons on the substance, when Maldion is exposed to a hot enough heat and used correctly, it can gather immense power"

"Hmm...Please explain" Wolfgang asked.

"Maldion releases a constant gust of air when it is exposed to heat" Lolita explained. "And the hotter it gets, the more powerful the gust. But I forgot to mention that it expels _warm _air" she explained.

"Warm air?" Blaze asked.

"Yes, warm air" Lolita confirmed, looking at a confused Milos.

"But the air coming out wasn't that warm..." Milos noted.

"I know, but let me explain" Lolita said. "I'm not sure of the exact science of it, but it's known that the hotter the exposure, the hotter the air that comes out. It works on a sliding scale, you see" she said.

"So...if, for instance, Blaze heated it up with her flames..." Wolfgang started.

"Then the air coming out would be a lot hotter?" Blaze finished.

"And a lot more powerful" Lolita added. "Plus, it doesn't affect how long the substance can eject air for. The length of time it takes to expel depends on the size of the crystal being heated" she explained. "My theory is that the castle uses Maldion for fuel by heating up one of the rocks with super hot exposure. Then, when it ejects air that is just as hot, a chain reaction starts" she said.

"Oh...I get it now" Blaze said quietly.

"To lift something of that size, one would need an awful lot of power. So my guess is that they use this chain reaction to lift the castle into the air, and then perhaps keep it in the air as well" Lolita reckoned.

"And to keep it in the air for that long, you'd have to have an awful lot of Maldion" Wolfgang surmised.

"I don't know how much they use, but my guess is they either give it temporary refuelling whilst in the air, or they just have giant Maldion rocks" Milos mentioned. Wolfgang shook his head at that moment, seemingly not content with something.

"But that doesn't explain the blue flames" he said.

"There's one more thing" Lolita said. "The air it produces has a kinda flammable element to it that can only be ignited in extreme temperatures. If there's a chain reaction going on in the Maldion rocks, then there heat will be immense, which mixes with the flammable gas it releases and produces a blue flame" she said. "It could be that the blue flames are the power that keeps the castle afloat, but I don't know that much"

"In any case, it's that substance which causes the castle to float" Wolfgang said. "...We have four days left before something will happen. It makes me shiver to think about it"

"What are we going to do now?" Blaze asked.

"...I think it's best for us to wait" Wolfgang said quietly. "The castle has yet to attack us again, and I still believe that the countdown has some form of significance when it comes to us as a team" he explained.

"What do you predict?" Stamatis asked.

"I'm not entirely sure" Wolfgang answered. "But Delago went to the trouble of telling us about his countdown. So we must have something to do with it. And they know fully well that up in the air, they're unreachable. Things just don't quite add up, and I'm convinced we haven't seen the last of them" he said.

"So we wait?" Blaze asked. "What if something happens to Silver? For all we know, he could be dead by the time the countdown ends! Maybe the countdown is the amount of time we have left before they kill him!" she shouted, becoming increasingly concerned for Silver. Wolfgang stood up angrily.

"Stop it!" he shouted. "You're not making things any better for any of us!"

There was an awkward silence in the room after Wolfgang's outburst. The group watched him as he stood there, fists clenched, breathing heavily. He then stood up straight and shook his head.

"We wait" he said, before walking out of the room, leaving everybody else behind the in the awkward silence.


	33. Three Days Left

Chapter 33: Three Days Left

He was in a large shed, located right within the castle's gardens. It was a rather strange place for him to be doing such a thing, but he had the permission to do it. With the book he was reading in the library by one side, and a load of tough scrap material on the other side, Milos set to work in building a working replica of Garuda's flying machine.

Milos had a certain eye for proportion and physics, and he knew that there were some aspects of the building process that would be tough when it came to calculating size and scale. But he knew deep down that he could do it. It was a tough challenge for him to replicate such an unimaginable machine, but he knew it could be possible. All he needed were his tools, material and some hope.

So he set to work on the main body frame. Looking at Garuda's version, the machine looked as if he was riding a large eagle, with intricate designs and such. Milos knew he could skip out on the flattering touches such as the patterns of the eagle's feathers, but he decided that the shape of the wings needed to be right, for it could have been important towards the actual physics of the machine. The body had to be right as well, so to make sure he didn't make the body or wings too large, he grabbed a whole stack of paper, pencils and utensils. He then proceeded to draw out to scale what he would envision his machine looking like.

He began to work on the body. Milos had grabbed a lot of the tools he used on the cart that was dragged by Wolfgang's horse, such as moulding iron sets that he used to create different pieces of armour. With it, he started to grab the flat, durable sheets of scarp metal that were in his pile and started to whack them into shape with his mallet. Upon whacking a few into shape, he drilled holes in them by grabbing his trusty screw. Then, he'd attach the screw to a circular plate and tied the plate to his tails, spinning them to mimic a drill. Drilling holes, he started to put the metal work for the body together.

All of this had taken him three hours so far, and he was sweating profusely by the time he had finished the bottom half of the body. He sat down and looked at his current work. It didn't look like much, but he knew that when it came to the actual machine working, it would probably do.

At that moment, Milos noticed the barn doors opening behind him. He turned around and saw Lolita coming through; pushing a tray that contained what looked like a tea set.

"Good afternoon, Milos" she said, smiling as she walked in. Milos stood up and sat back down on a chair, wiping his brow.

"Hi, Lolita" he replied. "Is that a tea set?"

"Indeed it is" Lolita replied, stopping nearby him. "I thought you'd be very hard at work, so I wanted to help. I made this lapsang souchong tea from some of our garden's produce. I thought maybe it'd refresh you" she explained. Milos didn't expect her to bring tea for him, and he felt somewhat touched and attracted to her sense of thoughtfulness. He felt warm inside, and it made him realise his extreme thirst.

"That's really nice of you..." he replied. "I'll have a cup, please!"

Lolita giggled and started to pour out the rich coloured, steamy liquid out of a decorated china jug.

"So, how's the machine coming on?" Lolita asked. Milos looked at his current handiwork before turning his head back towards Lolita.

"I guess I've only just started it really, but all the planning's done, and I know what I need to do to get it to hopefully work" he explained. "I'm hoping I can get it finished before that...countdown runs out" he added, hesitating to even think about the dreaded countdown. The suspense was growing as the days passed, and there were only three days left before the countdown reached its end. Nobody knew what was going to happen when it ran out.

"...It's been causing a lot of problems, hasn't it?" Lolita mentioned. She finished pouring the tea and handed Milos the cup, who took it with both hands. Milos jumped slightly as he felt her hand touched his, the unnatural softness of it a strange yet delicate surprise. He tried to not let his shyness show too much, so his eyes dropped their gaze towards the dark, aromatic liquid.

"I know" Milos said quietly, thinking about the awkward situation that unfolded last night, with Blaze's desperation being stamped out by Wolfgang's harsh words.

"...Do you think that Wolfgang meant to be that cold towards Blaze?" Lolita asked, grabbing one of the chairs in the barn and sitting close to Milos, with the tea set between them.

"I don't know...but the tension is getting higher" Milos said, sipping his tea. He could taste the strange wondrous liquid go down his throat and suddenly ease his nerves. He still felt a little down about the tension that was high amongst the group.

"The countdown could mean anything, couldn't it?" Lolita mentioned. "I feel sorry for the both of them. Especially since her boyfriend is up there in that castle, in danger...or possibly even..."

"Lolita...don't" Milos interrupted. "...I don't want to think about it"

"It's so scary..." Lolita said quietly. Milos sipped his tea once again, trying to remain composed. But he was equally as scared as to what would happen. The fact that someone's life was on the line was making Milos and Lolita shiver a little.

"Milos...do you think that...it could have something to do with my father?" Lolita mentioned.

"What?" Milos said suddenly.

"My father...King Marcelino, he vanished when he went to the mountains. He went a lot during the past three years, but when he vanished...do you think they kidnapped him as well?" she asked. Milos remained quiet, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to upset her.

"...Milos...could my father...have also been captured by the floating castle?" she asked, a look of intense fear on her face.

"...It's..." Milos replied, unsure of what he could say. His heart was pumping wildly; if he said anything too bad, he knew that Lolita would be very upset. But Lolita noticed Milos's hesitation.

"...You don't want to answer, do you?" she asked in a really quiet voice. Milos could predict Lolita flying into a rage if he remained quiet.

"I...I don't want to say anything that'll upset you" Milos murmured, almost hiding his head beneath his tea cup to avoid the thrashing he was predicting he'd have. But there was a silence that came after his reply instead. Silence...until Milos could hear a faint sobbing.

He looked up to see Lolita with her head down, looking into her own tea cup, shivering slightly. The sobbing seemed to be coming from her.

"Lolita...what's wrong?" Milos asked, placing his cup onto the tray and edging his seat closer to her.

"...*sob*...My father's dead, isn't he?" Lolita asked, her voice choked up by her tears. "...If they took him, then he's surely..."

"Don't think like that!" Milos spurred. "I'm sure your father's alive!"

"But don't you see?" Lolita yelled looking up at Milos, her eyes teary and her expression pained. Milos moved back slightly, afraid of her outburst. "If Silver's going to die, then does that make things any different for my father? I...*sob*...I just...I j-just..." she stuttered, stumbling over her own grief.

It was then that she started to fully cry, her head dug in her hands. Milos could feel his heart being torn at watching this beautiful girl in front of him crying...

Beautiful? No, he knew it then. He did not deny her young and innocent beauty any longer. He recognized his feelings inside of him; he knew what his heart was trying to tell him. It wasn't exactly love, but Milos could feel such a strong sense of admiration and determination to stop the girl in front of him crying, he knew that he only wanted good to happen to her. To see her cry made Milos feel a shared sense of pain.

"Lolita...don't cry..." Milos said quietly, moving closer to her. It was impulse that caused him to open his arms and take hold of her. He had never been this close to her before, and they'd only known each other for a few days. But Milos thought it was like the forging of a diamond, a unity under severe pressure.

Milos held her tightly and placed his head upon her shoulder, rubbing it slightly to comfort her. He held her softly but firmly, feeling her shivering as she cried.

Milos could feel Lolita's hands slowly wrap around his back. He almost jumped at the feeling, but he remembered the passion of the moment they were in, almost automatically. Her head fell upon his shoulder, her crying slowly but surely calming. The two held their embrace for a few minutes before Milos started to speak.

"Everything's going to be fine...I promise" Milos said quietly. "I'll do what I can"

"Milos...*sniff*..." Lolita whispered. "...I-I'm sorry I yelled..."

"No, don't be" Milos replied in a reassuring voice, squeezing her a little tighter for comfort. "I can't say these next few days are going to be smooth. But let's stick together, eh? I'm sure side by side we'll pull through with whatever happens alright"

"Y-yes...that sounds great..." Lolita said, almost chucking slightly from relief. The two continued to hold each other for an elongated amount of time, knowing that in that sudden moment, amidst all the tension, they had found comfort in each other.


	34. Two Days Left

**Reader's warning: This chapter contains one use of the F word. Viewer discretion advised.**

Chapter 34: Two Days Left

The countdown was nearing its end. The previous night was wracked with pressure and terror, one that caused Blaze to lose an entire night's sleep. Her mind was troubled with thoughts of the possibilities, the fate of Silver hanging heavy.

The following afternoon, she was sat on her bed, looking glumly towards the window, the thought still torturing her. She didn't cry; she knew that Silver would have wanted her to stay strong. But the whole situation was beginning to seem more and more hopeless. She could swear that there was a sense of impending doom in the air, thick enough to cut it with a knife.

There was a knock on the door.

"...Come in" Blaze called out. The door opened, revealing Stamatis on the other side of the door.

"Hi, Blaze" he said, walking in and shutting the door. "...You look depressed"

"I know" Blaze uttered. "It's just this whole countdown thing...and Silver. I can't get it out of my head; I've been losing sleep"

"Losing sleep?" Stamatis asked. "...Wow, this is really getting tense for you, isn't it? Is this about Wolfgang shouting at you?" he asked. Blaze then turned her head away from Stamatis, as if she didn't want to even address the problem. Stamatis sighed and looked at the window.

"...I haven't got the faintest of what's going to happen in two days' time" Stamatis murmured. "...Maybe nothing will happen to us"

"Maybe that's how long Silver has left..." Blaze said, sighing after it. Stamatis tutted and turned to Blaze.

"Come on now, don't be like that" he said. "I'm sure that Silver's still alive"

"And what makes you think that? Blaze spat suddenly, looking angrily at Stamatis. "Just because you haven't got anything to lose in all of this. You just got a free ride and a little adventure, that's all. But for me, I have to worry every single day and night about a man who may already be...be...be dead!" she shouted. Stamatis frowned at the negative display.

"Well, sorry for trying to help you with your adventure!" he spat back. "What's gotten into you anyway? What makes you think that Silver is dead?"

"Shut up!" Blaze shouted. Stamatis's eyes opened suddenly in surprise. He did not expect her to fight back like this; he could swear that he felt the heat of Blaze's anger emnating from her.

"...Blaze?" Stamatis asked. Blaze then walked right up to Stamatis and went up in his face.

"Don't you **ever **even **insinuate** that Silver's dead!" she shouted.

"Well what are you worrying about!" Stamatis shouted back, standing up. "If he's not dead, then stop having a tantrum!"

"You don't bloody understand, do you?" Blaze shouted. "Have you ever even been in love before? Do you know how it feels when you lose one of your loved ones, and you don't know if they're even alive?"

Stamatis this looked slowly towards the floor, his head filling with his own painful thoughts.

"...My parents...you think I've had an easy life?" he uttered. Blaze calmed slightly, suddenly realising that she'd tapped a nerve.

"I..." she started. But Stamatis suddenly exploded in a rage, his face wrought with fury.

"You think all my life I've had any of the luxuries that you've had? No! I haven't had barely any luxury whatsoever throughout my entire life. You still have parents. You don't have to work to make a living. You don't live in a barn like I do, and you don't have to fight everyday to earn your fucking keep! And just to top it off, unlike me, you don't have someone you have to provide for! You haven't got someone who needs you and is dependent on you, do you? Well, do you?" he screamed. Blaze's flames had suddenly died out at that moment. She could feel the tears almost flowing right out of her eyes. The verbal attack she had just taken on was so immense, she felt as if she would collapse. Staring right into the flaring eyes of Stamatis, she truly knew the meaning of fear at that point.

"...And all I've been doing is tagging along for the ride, eh?" Stamatis retorted, stepping back and heading for the door. "You're nothing but a lousy, selfish **princess**..."

And with that, he slammed the door behind him, leaving Blaze by herself, shell shocked in the room. She didn't know what to say. She didn't feel anything, standing there by herself. Everything was just blank and her vision was starting to fade somewhat.

She sat on the edge of the bed, the severity of the verbal thrashing she received beginning to dawn on her. She felt the growing weight on her heart, causing her breathing to become shallow. It then became hoarse. She felt a pressure building up inside her head, her senses become blocked. Her throat started to choke up, and as she closed her eyes, she gritted her teeth as the tears started to fall out of her eyes. She didn't cry out loud, but wept silently instead, her hands placed on her legs, her head down. She wept quietly, watching her tears fall down onto her lap, soaking her leggings.

She didn't notice the door open again, revealing a quieter, calmer Stamatis. He walked in and closed the door quietly, his head down as well. He took a few steps in front of the crying Blaze and took a deep breath.

"...I'm sorry" he said quietly.

Suddenly, Blaze burst into a loud cry, her tears streaming down her face as she ran towards Stamatis and hugged him tightly, crying into her shoulder. Stamatis was taken by surprise, but he kept his footing and held onto her just as tightly as she did. He could feel her heat had been extinguished by her sorrow.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! Oh, what in the hell is happening to us, Stamatis? Everybody's arguing and falling apart...we don't know what's going to happen...why can't this pain just end?"

"Blaze...don't think about things like that" Stamatis murmured in Blaze's ear. "I know things are bleak and we don't know what's happening, but we can't just give up now. We've come this far, I'm sure if we just believe and hope that everything will turn out okay, then maybe things won't be so bad" he said.

"I've...*sob*...I've been such a bitch, haven't I?" Blaze wept. Stamatis shook his head slightly, closing his own eyes.

"No, you haven't..." Stamatis said back. "It's tough on everyone, especially you. Don't forget Lolita as well, her father is also in the same situation as Silver. We're all taking the brunt of the blow here, but we just gotta believe, or otherwise we won't have the strength to go on"

"St...Stamatis...I...*sniff*...oh, why must it be like this?" she said exasperatingly. Stamatis started to shush quietly.

"Don't think about it...just take your mind off it" he said quietly. "As long as we haven't seen Silver's dead body, then he's still alive. Do you hear me Blaze? Silver is still alive...he's still alive..." he whispered. He started to rock the crying Blaze in his large, muscular arms, almost as if cradling a child. It reminded him of how he used to cradle Milos as a child whenever he started crying, or whenever he got scared of the thunderstorms in the night. He closed his eyes and wished silently in his head for peace to come, all the while praying that his hope could pierce the dark clouds that billowed in the skies above them...


	35. Eve of the Final Night

Chapter 35: Eve of the Final Night

Milos was returning back to his room as the sun began to set. He had made a lot of work on his flying machine; it now had wings and a tank to hold Maldion in. The turbine was built and ready to be fitted into the back of the machine, and the steering mechanism was almost complete. Milos figured that he'd need a couple more hours and his machine would be complete. But something was weighing heavily on his mind as the sun set. By the time the sun would rise again, according to Delago, something would happen.

The possibilities were endless. Would the rising of the sun mark the end of both Silver and Marcelino's lives? Did it mark the day of a vicious attack from the floating castle? Or did it simply mean nothing and was a ruse to distract the group? Was Silver dead already? It was these questions that accompanied Milos to his bedroom.

But as he opened his door, he got a surprise when he saw Lolita sitting on his bed, looking down. She noticed him coming in.

"Lolita?" Milos asked. "What are you doing down here?"

"Tonight's the last night of that countdown thing..." Lolita said quietly. "...I'm scared"

"You're scared?" Milos asked, walking up to her. She seemed so fragile, sitting there on his bed. He restrained himself from hugging her. "...Me too"

"I wonder if anything will happen?" Lolita said quietly.

"I don't want to be rude, but..." Milos started. "...Surely you're in the wrong bedroom?"

Lolita looked up as if she remembered something and hopped off the bed.

"Sorry" she said. Then, as she rubbed her skirt down for dust, she looked back up at Milos and begun to look anxious.

"Milos...I..." she started. "...I don't know how I want to put this across...but I'm scared of being by myself tonight. I...I think maybe the countdown could affect me, and I don't want to be sleeping by myself" she said.

"So...you want me to spend the night in your room with you?" Milos asked.

"Well...yes. But the other way around" Lolita confirmed shyly. "I hope it's not too much trouble. I asked the permission of the council members and they had no problem with it. Is this okay?" she asked. Her hands were clenched tightly together.

"...That's okay" Milos replied. He tried to remain calm, but deep down, he was jumping for joy. It was as if the gods were watching and decided to be nice to Milos for the day. Lolita then smiled, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.

"Oh, thank you so much!" she said. "I was so afraid that I'd have to spend the night by myself. But with you, I feel a lot safer" she said.

"It's no problem, in fact I was thinking kinda the same" Milos said, chuckling. "Especially since this is the last night of the countdown. Should the castle get attacked or something, I wouldn't be able to defend myself...well, unless I flew" he said. "I can take you up with me, and we'll be safe enough in the air"

"Wow...you'd do that?" Lolita asked, flattered by the comment.

They talked throughout the night, watching as the clock moved from nine to eleven. By then, the two were both tired and needed to sleep. But they entered a dispute at that moment.

"But you can't sleep on the floor!" Lolita protested. "You'll hurt your back!"

"But I can't let you sleep on the floor!" Milos protested.

"I...it's too nice a gesture, Milos...please, just let me sleep on the floor"

"I can't do that Lolita. Please, let me hurt my back instead"

"Hee hee! Aw, but I don't want you to get hurt..."

"Well...if you care that much, then maybe we could both sleep on the bed?"

"...Great idea!"

So the two jumped into the bed and snuggled under the covers. As Milos turned and closed his eyes to go to sleep, he almost felt the happiest jump of his life when he felt a hand clutch onto his. They fell asleep, hand in hand, ready to wake to the morning, or protect each other from the imminent danger...

Meanwhile, as the clock passed midnight and neared one, in the treasury room, Wolfgang was looking at the Hestia Blade, thinking deeply about what he had said to Blaze and what was to occur after the night had passed. He moved about the room, looking and examining different things. He then happened to pass over the lovely oak desk, which had many papers in it. Curiosity caught Wolfgang, and he looked to see if he was alone. He then opened the drawers and started to look at the papers within, to see what kingly duties were like. It was then that he received the worst shock of his entire life...

He saw a bunch of letters that King Marcelino had addressed. But it was the name of the recipient that gave Wolfgang the shock. The one man that changed Wolfgang's life, one man who caused extreme terror to the world during his reign...

Suddenly, there was a little tremor shaking all around Wolfgang. A large humming sound accompanied the tremors. Wolfgang quickly drew his sword and prepared himself as he saw the expected abomination appear in the air, soldiers appearing from all around it. Wolfgang realised that the countdown had come to an end...


	36. The Shocking Revelation

Chapter 36: The Shocking Revelation

At once. Blaze awoke as the great humming sound surrounded her. The sounds of fierce battle screamed from outside the walls of her room. These sounds were familiar to her. She quickly ran to the window and opened it frantically, poking her head into the drizzle to see if her fears were true. It was.

Right above her head, she saw a great earth spire hanging in the air, with tiny figures of soldiers falling from the edges, attached to ropes. It was the floating castle.

Hurriedly, she threw on her armour and grasped her rapier before dashing out of the room, where Stamatis was standing, waiting for Blaze.

"Blaze!" he said as soon as she appeared. "I heard glass shattering from the treasure room!"

Without a word, the two ran as fast as they could amidst the guards, who were taking defensive positions and preparing for the attack and went towards the treasure room.

As soon as they entered the room, Blaze noticed that the room looked devastated. The glass was all shattered and the bodies of many soldiers were lying about the room, either in agony or dead Some sections of the walls had been sprayed with blood, and much of the decorations had been vandalised. But there was one soldier who Blaze recognized at once.

It was Wolfgang. Lying on the floor in front of her...in a pool of crimson red blood.

"Wolfgang!" she screamed, running right towards him. The shattered windows on the wall and ceiling let in the heavy rain, and it was pouring into a section of the room. She knelt down and cradled his head in her arms, trying to get a reaction out of him, before looking up and seeing something even more unexpected.

There were three men stood before her. On the left side was a large, muscled Anubis esque creature with scars on his body and tape wrapped around his midsection and arms. To the right was a man wearing a half mask and completely covered in a cloak. It was none other than Branko and Delago. But the man in the middle was the biggest shock.

He was a great big man with a wolf's face, covered in grey hair. One of his eyes were slightly squinted and he bore a toothy, jagged grin. He was clad in great and shining golden armour, which shone from that rain that poured onto it, and he wielded a large, devastating axe with beautiful patterns and decorations on the blade and handle. His calves and biceps were less armoured, revealing his bulging muscle behind the chain mail, and he also had a large red cape which was furled beneath his large shoulder plates, billowing behind him in the wind. Blaze swore she knew who the man was, and when she looked at the portrait behind her, she recognized the man at once. It was King Marcelino.

"...You..." Blaze said quietly, with a twinge of disgust. Marcelino begun to snigger in a horrible dark voice.

"He put up a fight" he said. "But before he could get the upper hand, Delago got him with a stab through the back"

Blaze gasped at the remark. She looked back down at Wolfgang and saw where the wound was. He had been stabbed right through his lung, a small slit at the front of his body still bleeding profusely. She looked back up in horror, both at the wound and the sudden revelation of Marcelino's alliance.

"Y-you...you're the one behind all of this?" she shouted in utter disbelief. Marcelino begun to snigger again, with both Branko and Delago following. Blaze suddenly noticed the row of guards behind Marcelino, all wielding weapons that emitted a light fog, just like the soldiers who kidnapped Silver. Some of the weapons were stained with blood.

"I bet Delago had you on your toes with the countdown" Marcelino said. Blaze stood up at once.

"What have you done with Silver!" she yelled, her voice piercing through the sound of the castle's humming and the rain. Marcelino crossed his arms, still wielding his large, intimidating axe.

"Him?" he said. "We're not done with him yet"

Blaze felt a rush of relief build inside her, mixed with regret and terror. She then noticed Wolfgang's groans of pain, and she suddenly knelt down back to his aid.

"Wolfgang...can you hear me?" she asked.

"Aaahh...uuuuggghh..." Wolfgang groaned. Blaze looked back up at Marcelino with disgust.

"You monster..." she said quietly. "How could you betray your people? How...How could you do this!"

She then realised that the glass cabinet in front of her was shattered. The red blanket that concealed it was strewn across the floor. The Hestia Blade was missing.

"The Hestia Blade..." Blaze said quietly. "...Where is it?"

"You mean this?" Marcelino asked, placing a hand down to his belt. He suddenly pulled and unsheathed the Hestia Blade with his free arm, raising it into the sky before bringing it down and examining the flat of the dark blue, jagged blade carefully.

"So that's what you were after..." Blaze said quietly. She was trying to piece together why Marcelino had stolen it.

"And it is a fine blade..." Marcelino said, examining the blade, bringing it very close to his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, his face frowning with evil.

"Now that I have it, this pitiful city will cease to exist" he added.

"What do you mean!" Stamatis shouted suddenly, after a long silence spent taking in the terrible atmosphere of death. Marcelino, with the Hestia Blade still close to his face, shot a gaze towards Stamatis, his face unturned.

"I could tell you..." he said. "...But I think you should find out for yourselves. In any case, your time in this life is cut short. Before long, you shall all be plunged under a mountain of ice!"

He turned around, lowering the blade. Then, all of Marcelino's group raised their left hands, revealing their silver bands.

"Listen to his last words carefully" Marcelino said, gesturing to Wolfgang. "...They may be important, heh heh!"

Suddenly, blue beams shot out of all of their arms and the group shot right up towards the castle, leaving Blaze, Wolfgang and Stamatis by themselves. Blaze looked up in grief as they vanished towards where the castle floated, before she noticed Wolfgang's groans of pain. She looked back down and could see the paned expression in Wolfgang's eyes.

"Blaze..." he said quietly.

"Don't talk" Blaze said hurriedly. "Save your strength, we'll save you"

"N-no!" Wolfgang yelled, raising his hand, almost swatting Blaze's hand away. "I...I must tell you something..."

Blaze could feel a tear coming to her eye as she cradled the dying man in her arms once more. She placed an ear to his faintly beating heart. She could tell it was fading.

"Wolfgang...you can't die..." she said quietly, sobbing.

"Blaze...there are letters on that desk...that Marcelino wrote..." Wolfgang wheezed. Blaze suddenly looked up towards Wolfgang's face, studying the pained expression in his eyes and listening carefully to what he had to say.

"...The letters are...addressed to your...granduncle, Blaze" he revealed.

His image appeared in her head at once. Gustav, the terrible king. The granduncle that raised Blaze and attempted to kill her once she fell in love with Silver. The tyrannical beast that possessed the Hestia Blade. The man who used to rule the world.

"G-Gustav..." Blaze stammered, unable to even think of the man. It had been so long since he was killed; she whished that she would never have to think of him again.

"Marcelino...has a terrible past, similar to Gustav..." Wolfgang explained. "Nine years ago, Marcelino was...an aide, just like Tinder was to Gustav. He wanted to be on the throne badly...and the current ruler was... Queen Teresa..."

"Lolita's mother?" Blaze asked.

"Yes..." Wolfgang said quietly. "Teresa had no children, and if she died...the rule would pass to the aide, which was Marcelino...Marcelino was receiving orders from Gustav to usurp the throne. Marcelino was getting ready to put together an uprising of the castle soldiers, ready to oust Teresa...but before he had the chance...she became pregnant" he explained. "Lolita and Marcelino...are not related. Lolita's father was another man who fell in love with Teresa. Her pregnancy meant...Marcelino was no longer next in line..." he explained.

"So...how did he become the king?" Blaze asked.

"According to his letters to Gustav..." Wolfgang continued. "He was so enraged that he was no longer next to take the throne...that he killed Lolita's father" he said. Blaze grimaced at the thought of such an act, closing her eyes tightly.

"...Marcelino was tried for murder...but Gustav involved himself with the trial. Gustav was an...excellent politician, remember...he used his powers to drop the charges on Marcelino...yet it took months before he could actually do it" he explained. "So when Marcelino was let free from the courts many months after he...murdered Lolita's father, he continued his uprising. But before he could usurp the throne...Teresa gave birth...and vanished" he explained.

"...So that's why she's not here..." Blaze uttered quietly.

"Marcelino and Gustav worked together through letters to cover up Teresa's disappearance. He managed to take the throne and become the new king of Laleh...but at a price. And that was...Lolita" he said. "Marcelino admired Gustav to heaven, and decided to raise Lolita like Gustav was raising...you...urgh..." Wolfgang uttered. Blaze then suddenly noticed that Wolfgang was dying.

"Wolfgang...you have to pull through!" Blaze begged. But Wolfgang responded with a cough. Blaze could feel his body becoming heavier in her arms.

"Blaze...I...I have been lung-wounded...I've lost too much...*cough*...bl...blood..." he uttered. Blaze felt the tears streaming out of her eyes as she looked at Wolfgang. All this time that she had known him, she couldn't believe that he was going to leave her like this.

"I...no, you just...*sob*...you can't!" Blaze pleaded. But it was no use. She could see that his eyes were fading in and out of consciousness.

"They attacked in...groups..." he said quietly. "...I...fought, but I had...*cough*...no chance..."

"Wolfgang...*sniff*...don't...please, you can't die..." Blaze whimpered, almost unable to plead any more.

"B-Blaze..." Wolfgang stuttered. "I'm...sorry I shouted at you..."

"No...don't be... Blaze said quietly, stroking his proud face softly. She wiped away the blood that was seeping out of Wolfgang's open mouth. She had accepted the fact that Wolfgang was on his last breaths.

"You've...become so...st...rong...Blaze...do me and...your father proud...aaahhhhh...never let them...grind...you...down..." he uttered. Blaze watched in sorrow as Wolfgang's eyes closed and his body became fully limp. There was no life in him anymore. Cradled within her arms was a man who had given his life for the sake of peace. Wolfgang was dead.

Stamatis watched as Blaze remained still with Wolfgang, all three of them becoming soaking wet from the rain. He had witnessed such a sad scene unfold in front of him. It filled him with anger, with rage.

He yelled and ran towards the smashed glass walls and ceiling, looking up towards the floating castle.

"Damn you!" he screamed. "Damn you all to hell!" Aaaaaaargghhhhh!"

He fell to the floor, punching it with his fists. He was striking so hard that he was causing cracks to form in the ground, A few living guards came in to see what was happening, shocked by the scene that they were introduced to.

Blaze slowly stood up and walked towards Stamatis, her face wet with both rain and tears. She looked at him.

"...I can't believe it..." she said quietly. The two of them stood there silently, trying to cope with the loss that they had been given. It was heart rending for Stamatis to see his friend like this, defeated and broken. Blaze had looked as if she truly gave up on the quest. Even with the floating castle right above them, without Wolfgang, everything seemed lost...

From the sky, there was a large mechanical noise, which was familiar, yet crushing for both Blaze and Stamatis to hear. Stamatis looked up and watched in horror as the rock formations started to move, revealing the giant cannon. The castle, and the cannon, seemed to gigantic now that it was much closer. They watched as blue electric bolts sparked across the edges of the shining cannon, different sections of it flashing a light blue. The entire atmosphere became very cold and frigid.

"It's..." Stamatis uttered. "It's so powerful...I never thought I would imagine my life ending like this..." he mentioned.

Blaze remained completely quiet, her head still down. She closed her eyes and unclenched her fists, the fiery warmth of her body completely dissipated. She knew in her mind that she had failed, that Silver was probably dead. And she had accepted death. She knew as soon as the beam fired, she would be with the people she loved once again...

_"Blaze...you can't give up..."_

**A mysterious voice! This is the longest chapter so far, so it can only indicate that the end is nearing! Hope you're enjoying it! Also, you may have wondered why this chapter has come a day early? Well, in about 9 days' time or so, I will be going on holiday for what may be the better of three weeks. So to make sure that you're not kept waiting too long, the next nine chapters of this story shall be posted within the next nine days, and perhaps I might add another chapter if I find a computer cafe anywhere on my travels. So enjoy!**


	37. Revitalised Hope

Chapter 37: Revitalised Hope

She couldn't believe her eyes when she turned around. Neither could Stamatis. He had never seen the figure that presented herself before them, but Blaze had. It was someone who she was related to. A descendant. With a ghostly figure garbed in long flowing robes and flaring red jewels adorned on her chest and neck, it was none other that the god of fire herself, Sol.

"Blaze...you can't give up..." she said, her voice a powerful, yet echoing sound. Blaze was completely stunned at what she was seeing. Sol floated in front of them, calmly and serenely, as if there was nothing wrong. Stamatis noticed how much Blaze and Sol looked like each other, except Sol was a lot larger in size as a spirit.

"...S-Sol..." Blaze stuttered. "What...why are you...here?"

She watched as Sol closed her eyes and brought her hands to her chest, holding them together softly.

"The world has fallen under perilous danger" she said. "If this castle cannot be stopped, then the world may very well be buried under ice. Many will die" she explained.

"So why didn't you help us before?" Stamatis shouted suddenly, still very frustrated. "Had you come in sooner, Wolfgang wouldn't have died! We could have taken down the castle a long time ago!"

Blaze looked at Stamatis in horror.

"Don't shout at her!" Blaze shouted suddenly.

"It's okay, Blaze..." Sol interrupted. "I can understand his anger. I did not anticipate that your enemies would progress this far"

"But...what are we going to do?" Blaze yelled amidst the rising noise of the charging cannon, which grew brighter every second. "The cannon's about to fire; we're all going to be killed!"

Blaze then watched as Sol let go of her hands and placed them close together, revealing a small gap in between her hands.

"I cannot step in and save the world myself...I am but a spirit" she said. "But I can do this..."

Suddenly, a bright red light shot out of the gap in between Sol's hands. Both Blaze and Stamatis squinted and shielded their eyes from the light. Blaze peeked out from her arm and received yet another shock as what she saw.

Within Sol's hands were seven jewels, each a different colour. Every one shone with vigour and released a near searing, yet powerful, invigorating heat. Just looking at them filled Blaze with hope. She could feel her body beckoning for the power that lay in Sol's hands. It was the Sol Emeralds.

"Blaze...I give you the Sol Emeralds" Sol announced. "Use them and stop this world from being plunged under ice..."

"But how?" Stamatis asked. "I thought...only the descendant of a god could use an Elemental Tome's power? And how did they just appear?" he asked, even more confused about the situation.

"Blaze is my descendant" Sol said, looking over towards Stamatis. "And wherever I may go, even in spirit, the Sol Emeralds will follow..."

Blaze then watched as Sol's gaze turned back to her.

"I entrust these to you" she said. "Use them wisely, and stop the tyranny from destroying this world"

The Sol Emeralds then slowly floated away from Sol's hands and towards Blaze, who watched them as they approached. As they moved, Sol gave Blaze a heart warming smile before her spirit vanished into thin air.

The Sol Emeralds started to circle Blaze. She suddenly felt an exhilarating surge of power and heat streaming through her body and her blood. She felt it boil; the feeling was immense. All the negativity in her mind was vanquished by the extreme heat and she felt the flames bursting out of her body, unable to be contained. She started to scream, exerting all of her old strength out, the Sol Emeralds spinning faster and faster.

Suddenly, a great burst of searing fire shot out of Blaze as the Sol Emeralds slowed down. Blaze's fur had become a lighter pink and her body was spouting flames. Amidst the freezing cold eminence of the ice cannon above them, the entire room was warm. Stamatis looked on in shock.

"Blaze...look at yourself...you've changed!" he said. Blaze looked at Stamatis, a serious face imprinted on her.

"It's time to finish this" she said. "I must stop Marcelino..."

"Then let me come up with you" Stamatis asked. "You may have extreme power now, but two heads are better than one"

Blaze waited for a minute, thinking about Stamatis's offer, before nodding in agreement.

"Hold onto me" she asked. Stamatis then walked up to Blaze and held onto her arm as she started to charge energy in her body. Stamatis could feel the exhilarating heat, but he wasn't burned. It was strange how Blaze was able to decide who was hurt by her flames, and who would be resistant.

The cannon was almost ready to fire. A deathly blue beam had converged on the front, and the noise was so high pitched, everybody's ears was about to shatter from the noise. Blaze charged up as much energy as she possibly could, trying to time it right. Then, as she saw the blue sphere suck itself into the cannon nozzle, about to unleash, Blaze unleashed her own energy and shot right up with Stamatis towards the floating castle. Stamatis closed his eyes tightly and hoped that he would survive giant energy blast.


	38. Colliding Elements

Chapter 38: Colliding Elements

Both Blaze and the cannon beam collided in the air, resulting in a thunderous crash. Blaze found herself under the severe cold pressure of the beam, trying to fight against it. Her flames were creating a shield that was dispelling the ice cold beam, protecting Laleh below. All she could hear was the high pitched scream of the cannon mixing in with the amplified sounds of her flames.

From Laleh, the soldiers had gained the upper hand against the floating castle denizens. The guards further back, protecting the entrances to the castle looked up as they saw the entire sky change from the black night into a blue and red aurora, spreading outwards like a dome. In the center of the dome was a brilliant white light, almost as bright as the sun and blinding to look at. The temperatures around them also pulsated between hot and cold, creating a very supernatural, out of the ordinary environment.

Meanwhile, all the way back at Castle Zanskar, Tinder was sat upon his throne, in a worry over the prolonged absence of his daughter, when he suddenly witnessed a piercing flash of light in the distance. He quickly stood up and walked to one of the windows. He could see a bright white light shimmering over the horizon, and a mix of red and blue colouring a small spot of the sky around the flashing light. It looked like a second sunrise. Tinder watched it carefully as it continued, wondering what it could be.

Back up in the air, Blaze could still feel the Sol Emeralds feeding more and more fire power into her. She continued to struggle, fighting back against the freezing beam. Stamatis was clenched tightly to her arm, closing his eyes, unable to believe that he was even in this kind of situation. He thought about his life back at Carachino, and how he would have never imagined one day attempting to save the world. He wondered how Milos was faring down below, whether he was protecting Lolita or not.

Suddenly, there was a shift in their movement. Stamatis noticed that both he and Blaze were slowly ascending towards the castle. The beam was becoming more and more quiet; its power was diminishing. As the beam thinned, Blaze kept as much control as she could, trying to not allow her powers to fling her and Stamatis right into the nozzle. She needed to board the castle in a better way; one that would ensure access inside.

Just as the beam fully dissipated, Blaze threw her head back and diverted her energy. The two suddenly flung right out from where they were suspended and shot into the air, moving up towards the main gate. As she passed above the stone spire, she directed her energy downwards and led the two to the very edge of the floating castle, right outside the ramparts leading inside. They landed with a thud; Stamatis falling right to the floor from the shock. He slowly got up and looked at where they were. He was lost for words to begin with, but soon found his voice.

"I...I can't believe it!" he said. "We're finally on board!"

But Blaze was facing a bigger problem. As she landed, she watched as the Sol Emeralds became pale, almost grey. The majority of their luster had vanished, with a slight blue glow emnating from the outsides of every gem. She couldn't feel the power she was receiving before from them.

"Stamatis..." she said quietly. "The Sol Emeralds...they've lost their power!"

Stamatis turned and looked at the gems. They were not floating anymore; they lay on the ground, unmoving.

"Maybe they're too cold?" he asked, noticing their blue aura. Blaze picked them up and put them into a small sack which she tied to her waist.

"I think it's because they've been exposed too much to that beam. If so, then I think they might recharge in a little bit" she explained. "In any case, I don't think we can go in through the front doors here. There are a lot of staircases leading to scaffolding surrounding the spire below, should we head down them?" Blaze suggested. Stamatis turned to see one of the metallic wire staircases leading down towards an elevator.

"It seems as if we haven't got any other options" he said, shrugging. "As long as we can get inside and sink this castle, any way will do" he said.

"And we need to rescue Silver" Blaze reminded. Then, she went for the stairs, with Stamatis following. As they headed for the elevator, Blaze started to envision Silver in her mind.

"Silver...we're coming for you..." she thought; ready to face the toughest challenge of her life.


	39. A Fork in the Road

Chapter 39: A Fork in the Road

The elevator descended for minutes. It was rusty and was hoisted by a large rope. There was an up and a down button, something that was completely alien to both Blaze and Stamatis. Upon pressing down, they almost marvelled at the technology they were witnessing as the rickety elevator begun to descend.

It stopped about fifty metres below from the castle gates. The door opened and both Blaze and Stamatis walked out. They could see the metal passageways all around the spire, almost fully wrapping it like a mummy. It was strange to see them, seeming they were almost invisible when looking at them from the ground. The paths seemed to go in all directions, but mainly downwards. But what vexed the two at once was the split in the path. There were two platforms that went down opposite ways. They looked at each other, hoping to find an answer.

"...Should we split up?" Stamatis asked.

"I'm not sure..." Blaze said quietly. "If we're both heading for the same place, sticking together would complicate things less..."

There was a huge noise as that moment that caused the entire castle to shake. Blaze quickly grabbed onto one of the railings, stopping herself from falling onto her back. Stamatis managed to keep his balance, but the two looked in shock as they could see Laleh below them start to move. There was a huge roaring sound from the giant silver cylinders and a great blue flame emitted from them. The two realised that the castle had started to move.

"...It's moving!" Blaze shouted amidst the bursting noise.

"It's gonna strike somewhere, I know it!" Stamatis yelled back. "We haven't got much time make our minds up, what are we going to do?"

**Sorry for the short chapter, been very busy with many different things that I needn't list now. To make it up, next chapter with be a nice and long one!**


	40. Revenge

Chapter 40: Revenge

"I think we should split up" Blaze decided. "That way, with two of us investigating different areas we can find a way to break in faster" she said.

"Risky...I like it" Stamatis agreed, punching his fists together. "Right, I'll head down this way. Should we try to meet up somewhere?"

"If we both head for the reactor, then we'll try to meet up there. If we happen to run into each other on the way, then we can just make that our rendevous spot" she explained. "Right, good luck"

The two nodded, and Blaze started walk down the rusty steps, walking briskly across the thin platforms that wrapped the great earth spire. She wasn't quite sure of where to go, but she kept a close eye on any passages that seemed to head into the spire.

Ten minutes of platform walking later and Blaze started to see what appeared to be a large circle platform ahead of her, attached to one of the smaller exhaust cylinders, which seemed to be switched off, therefore the area she was in was slightly quieter than the roaring noises of the bigger engines. She walked towards and onto the platform, which was illuminated by bright lights around the edges.

Suddenly, there was a large honking noise and a grating sound of metal right behind Blaze. She swivelled on her heel to see a large metal gate close down behind her, trapping her in the circle platform. There were no railings; falling off of the platform was something that could be easily achieved. She heard a similar sound at the end of the platform as another metal grate closed down, fully trapping her on the circle platform. Blaze looked around frantically, trying to spot some form of control panel, or at least what was causing the panels to close.

There was a sound of sniggering in the air. Blaze caught out the sound at once and looked at a caped figure that was flying in the air. She identified it at once. It was Delago.

"You!" she shouted. She couldn't think of anything else to shout before the images of Wolfgang dying re-entered her head. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, trying not to lose her composure. She watched as Delago slowly lowered to the ground, his body completely concealed. Blaze could just make out the white mask he was wearing that hid his face.

"It's an embarrassment that I've allowed you to come this far" Delago said boldly. "I should have unleashed my full power and killed you while I could..."

Blaze then watched as Delago roared, ripping his cape away. In a sudden rush, Delago pounced towards Blaze, who drew her rapier at once and blocked the metal object that appeared from within Delago's cape. Upon hearing the metallic sound, she looked in horror as she saw that she had clashed against a crude, metal hand, which stuck out of a badly bandaged, blood stained stump. It looked awful; Blaze almost retched at the sight. She jumped back, unable to take her hands on of Delago's mechanic hand.

"You looked shocked to see it..." Delago said quietly, waving the metal hand. "It was YOU who did this to me! Have you no shame in what you've done?" he shouted. "And you burnt my face so badly, that I have to wear this stupid mask!"

"It's just a taste of the revenge you deserve for killing Wolfgang..." Blaze spat passionately. Delago started to laugh, before pouncing once again towards Blaze. Blaze jumped back and parried slashes that Delago did with his metal hand, the edges of its fingers as sharp as the knife he held in their last confrontation. Blaze quickly jumped around and put some distance between them. Delago sniggered once more, rubbing his wild dark hair with his other, real hand. He appeared to be somewhat crazier than before.

"So you want to talk about revenge, huh?" Delago spat, still smiling intermittently. "Well, how about the time when I took revenge for my permanent disfiguration, when I sliced my hand right through Wolfgang like smooth...warm...butter..." he said, lingering on his last words like he was describing a succulent meal. Blaze felt the fury double up inside her instantly. She yelled and ran right towards Delago. The two entered a quick slashing frenzy, before Blaze outstretched her free hand and shot a fire burst. But Delago was a lot faster this time around, countering it with a cold blast from his good hand. Blaze quickly went for a fire kick, but Delago once again blocked it. The two then jumped back, distancing themselves again.

"Don't you **dare **talk about Wolfgang like that!" Blaze shouted. "You're a complete monster!"

"I don't care" Delago replied. "You'll be joining him soon, that's for sure"

A thin spear of ice formed in Delago's hand. He then lunged at Blaze with it, who dodged it and shattered it with her sword. Delago pounced in and slashed at Blaze, who ducked his razor sharp metal hand. She slashed for Delago's head, but was blocked once more by Delago, who stopped it with the same metal hand. He then grabbed the tip of the blade.

Blaze felt a stunning sensation rock her nerves. She could see a spark emit from Delago's hand as she fell suddenly to the hard, grate floor. She felt her head strike roughly against the rusted metal, and them a warm sensation sperad across it. She looked up as she saw Delago about to pierce her with his metal hand. Quickly, acting on impulse, she rolled out of the way as Delago's hand clashed against the cruel metal. Blaze stood up and stumbled back, still unsure of her footing. She realised that not only had she suffered an electric shock that made her fur stand on end, but she was also bleeding on her forehead; the blood dripping down the back of her head to her neck. She tried to ignore the stinging pain that emanated from the wound.

Without a word, Delago suddenly rushed at Blaze, slashing at her. Blaze managed to block Delago's strikes, but felt the force of his blows pushing her back inch by inch. She tried to worm around him but he was striking far too hard for her to regain enough balance to try and escape his onslaught. And before long, she looked back to see that she was near the edge of the platform. It was dizzying to see how far she would fall to her death if she took another few steps back.

Delago suddenly stilled his metal hand, keeping Blaze stood still on the edge of the platform. Blaze closed here eyes tightly and willed herself not to step back, and not to look back as well. Delago started to snigger once more.

"Back when we last fought..." he started. "...I was only playing. I was just testing you; I let you have a little freedom. I played about, and I paid the price with my hand and my face" he said. "Things are different now. You can't escape. I'm going to enjoy these last moments before I shove you off the castle and down to your death. You might land in the Badon Sea and drown, or you might just break every bone of your body on solid ground. Either way, I want your death to be painful, and this will do fine for me..." he said slowly and spitefully, almost relishing every word he said.

Blaze wasn't listening to a word. Instead, she watched as Delago's metal hand slowly lowered. She could see that Delago was taking so much delight in his words, that he had forgotten what he was actually meant to be doing. It opened up the perfect opportunity for Blaze to do some damage.

Just as Delago finished, Blaze quickly brought her free hand up and shot Delago in the face with what he hated most, a powerful fire blast. Delago screeched in pain and stumbled back, clenching his face. The mask was suddenly charred and there was smoke coming from the strands of his burning fur. He patted his face quickly, but as he looked up, he saw Blaze about to strike with her sword. He quickly raised his hand, but Blaze's strong swing managed to break through the feeble resistance of Delago's hand, whacking it away. The sword continued on its path, cutting a gash right in Delago's good arm. He yelled and fell to the floor, clutching his gashed arm, crying out in pain. Blaze then put the sword next to his neck.

"Any last words, you bastard?" she spat, her hand shaking from fury. She felt her blood pumping, the pain intensifying a little in the cut on her head. Delago looked up, gritting his teeth.

"You...y-you..." he said quietly. Blaze stepped forward, placing the edge of her rapier against Delago's throat, ready to kill him.

"You think killing Wolfgang was some laughing matter?" she asked. "Wait until you feel this..."

But Blaze didn't notice Delago reaching out for a stray pipe that was on the floor. Instantly, Delago's hand grabbed the pipe and struck the rapier away. He quickly rose to his feet and shot an ice burst in Blaze's face, causing her to jump back and rub her face in pain to try and melt the frost that had gathered on it. She melted it quickly, but she felt a searing pain in her chest, followed by the same warm sensation as her head. She realised she had been cut across the chest.

She yelled, stepping back, gritting her teeth as hard as she possibly could. She couldn't give up now. But she felt her knees weaken suddenly and she fell onto her back, clutching her cut breast. She looked as Delago raised his metal hand, the other hand still clutching the pipe.

"You spoke too soon" Delago said. "...Goodbye, Blaze"

Blaze looked to her left and saw that the pipe was within reach. Summoning the last of her strength, she reached out for the pipe and grabbed it, before pulling herself out of the way of Delago's diving metal hand. She watched as the hand pierced right through the grate floor. Blaze saw her chance to end the fight. She rolled onto her feet, twisting the pipe out of Delago's hand and screamed as she sunk the pipe into the small gap in the grate floor next to Delago's hand. The pipe jammed through and Delago yelled as his metal hand bent slightly, crushed from the pressure. Blaze had successfully jammed Delago's metal hand into the floor, in a position where no matter how hard he tugged and pulled, he could not escape.

Blaze clutched her breast again, breathing in deeply to contain the pain, before sheathing her rapier. Delago became desperate and started to beg.

"Don't kill me!" he shouted. "I'm sorry! I take back everything I've said and done, just please, _please stop this pain_!" he screamed. Blaze crossed her arms, weary, but victorious.

"You know...I could kill you right now..." she said quietly, mimicking Delago's snigger. It was humiliation at the worst degree.

"No!" Delago shouted, trying to free his arm. Blaze could see that his metal hand had slightly dislodged from the stump of his arm, causing it to bleed. It looked like a rotten tooth. Blaze then started to walk away.

"W-wait!" Delago begged. "Where are you going!"

"I've had enough of you" she said back, not turning her head. "When I destroy this castle...you'll be stuck here and you'll be going down with it. That'll be the start of **my **revenge..." she said quietly. She walked away, shattering the gate with a powerful fire blast, blocking out the sounds of Delago's pleading. Never had she felt so glad in her life when she turned the corner, taking one final look at the desperate Delago, before walking away. Justice had been well and truly served.


	41. Fist Fight Rematch

Chapter 41: Fist Fight Rematch

As he parted ways with Blaze, Stamatis started to make his way through the metal platforms in search of a way in. His mind was fully focused on success; he knew after the devastating loss that Blaze had suffered in the death of Wolfgang, he couldn't let her down. To fail now would be an insult to Wolfgang's life.

Fifteen minutes had passed since he started his journey, and so far, he had little success. He was approaching a small stairwell that led down to a set of platforms below when a loud, clanging noise could be heard amongst the sound of the engines. Stamatis suddenly looked in the direction of the noise, but the night was too dark for him to make out anything above him. The pathways were just about illuminated enough by the light of the blue flames from the exhausts and the occasional light here and there.

Stamatis turned around and was about to head down the stairs when he heard a roar from behind. Suddenly, there was a thud behind him and he felt something blunt strike the back of his head. Stamatis felt his legs become paralyzed as he tumbled down the stairwell. He clashed against the railings on a U-turn halfway down the steps, his vision a blur. At once, he could see a figure approaching him, with a furry hand reaching for his neck. It was Branko.

Stamatis felt Branko's hand grab his nape. He struggled blindly to try and fend off the powerful force that grabbed him, but he was flung against the railings, the rusty metal digging into his skin. Stamatis yelled before he felt a force throw him down the second flight of stairs into a narrow walkway. He landed on his back and shoulder, already racked with pain. His heart was pumping wildly as he struggled to his feet. He watched as Branko stood there, topless as usual, flexing his muscles and growling.

"You coward..." Stamatis uttered, rubbing the back of his head, trying to relieve the throbbing pain.

"It's not being cowardly; it's called the element of surprise!" Branko retaliated. He then shouted and ran towards Stamatis with a fist ready to strike. Stamatis quickly ducked Branko's attack and struck him in the back. Unflinching, Branko turned around and grappled with Stamatis, who grappled back as well. The two swayed back and forth, trying to overcome each other in strength, smashing against the railings. On one sway, Stamatis saw that there was another walkway directly below. He knew that Branko was beating him in the test of strength, so he allowed himself to be thrown off the walkway. He then grabbed onto the edge of it and dropped himself carefully onto the walkway below. He watched as Branko athletically jumped from the walkway above down to his level, before turning around.

"I don't know how you managed to get up here..." Branko started. "But I'll make very sure that you'll be heading right back down..."

"You talk tough, but can you back it up?" Stamatis taunted back. He then went for a high kick to Branko's head, who blocked it with his large arm. Branko lunged with a flurry of punches. Stamatis could hardly see Branko's figure, he was just a silhouette. He ducked and weaved through the punches, but one of them struck him right in the face, knocking him right off balance. Stamatis then felt himself being lifted into the air by Branko, who proceeded to charge with Stamatis struggling in his arms.

There was a loud metallic thud and an explosion of pain all across Stamatis's back. Stamatis yelled as he felt a steel grid pattern mesh press deeply into his skin, causing a burning sensation to spread across his back. He fell to the floor before hearing a loud honking sound. He felt the floor shift below him and realised that he was in a lift.

He was grabbed by the head and lifted up by Branko, who went to head butt him. Stamatis quickly grabbed Branko's head before he could be hit and managed to head butt him himself. Branko grunted and let go, holding his head as he hit the other side of the elevator. Stamatis then grabbed hold of Branko and started to punch his face. He felt Branko's tough skull crack against his fist as he struck him repeatedly, causing his mouth to bleed. After three punches, Branko caught his fourth fist and struck back, making Stamatis let go and fall back.

The two continued to grapple in the descending elevator. Branko once again gained the upper hand and forced Stamatis into a corner. Stamatis grabbed Branko's arms in an attempt to stop them from closing in around his throat. But his efforts were in vain for Branko was a lot bigger and stronger than he was. Branko's hands wrapped around Stamatis's neck and Stamatis could feel his grip crushing his wind pipe. He didn't have long to act. He quickly looked about for something to grab and hit Branko with, but the elevator was empty. As he felt his air supply rapidly thinning, he could only think of one thing to do.

Quickly, he lifted his leg, which happened to be in between Branko's legs. His foot came into contact with Branko's vulnerable area, Branko's grip suddenly letting go upon being kicked. His face turned to one of extreme pain as he clutched his jewels, trying to stay on his feet. Stamatis, who was now angered, yelled and ran right towards Branko, grabbing him by the waist in a bone crunching tackle. The two went crashing through the rickety elevator door as it was still descending and fell right through the air. Stamatis heart almost stopped as he realised he was falling, and for a minute he thought he would be falling to his doom. But luckily, there was a large square platform that the elevator was leading to, and the two crashed onto it, both yelling in pain as Branko's back smashed against the floor and Stamatis's shoulder almost dislocated upon impact. The two separated and lay on the floor, covered in debris from the elevator door.

Stamatis could feel pain racking along all of his back and his head. Even moving a few of his muscles caused him some discomfort and pain. Slowly, he willed himself to shuffle up onto his feet, getting onto his knees and straining to get up onto his feet. Branko was moving at the same slow pace obviously damaged from the fall. It was then that Stamatis noticed something hanging from Branko's taped waist. It was something small and shiny, hooked by a chain. It was a key of some sort. Stamatis knew it would open up a door somewhere on board, and kept his eye on it as Branko stood straight onto his feet.

"I didn't think you'd still be standing..." Branko said quietly, holding his stomach, as if he had been hit by a spear. "...But I've finished warming up now. It's time for me to step it up a notch"

Stamatis realised that he was cornered. On the small square platform, there were no railings, and this time, there were no walkways to save them. The only thing that was below them was a small hexagonal platform twenty metres below the platform, being kept up by a long, metal pole which rose right through the platform they were standing on and above. As Stamatis stepped back, he felt his hand touch the rung of a ladder that was attached to the side of the pole. He quickly looked at the ladder, then looked below to see he was standing on a trapdoor which led down to the platform below. His eyes darted to a lever mechanism next to it. He looked back down, and swallowed deeply as he tried to control his fear after seeing the small platform below, suspended above a very long, deadly drop.

His attention was diverted when he suddenly saw Branko clenching his hands, crunching his knuckles.

"Your tackle was pretty hard" Branko said. "...But I'll make sure mine will break you in half!"

Branko suddenly sprinted towards Stamatis, who quickly kicked his foot out towards the lever. His foot flipped the switch and the trapdoor below him opened. Stamatis grabbed into the ladder and felt as the bundled sections of the ladder started to stretch out, propelling Stamatis downwards with it. Branko, who couldn't stop his charge, struck his shoulder against the pole, falling and grabbing onto the ladder, yelling in pain whilst hanging halfway down the trapdoor. Stamatis could hear his yell of pain as he descended.

But there was a sudden jolt in the ladder, one which caused Stamatis to let go on accident. As he started to fall, his feet still firm on the ladder, he felt as he almost swung down before his feet got caught in the rungs, suspending him upside down about two thirds of the way down. His eyesight dropped right down to the harrowing view of the drop once more, which prompted him to look up.

He could see Branko was slowly climbing down towards Stamatis, clutching his injured shoulder. Stamatis could also see that the platform was fully and brightly illuminated by the lights of the castle, which was rather strange, which meant that he could see Branko fully for the first time in their fight. But it wasn't a pleasant sight as Branko held the edges of the rungs firmly and slid down them.

Stamatis quickly unfurled his feet from the rungs before Branko could break them in half as he was sliding down. Stamatis felt himself free fall through the air, his breath held in fright, as if he had dived into cold water. The wind was cold around him and he never felt so heavy in all his life.

A heavy thud accompanied the great impact Stamatis encountered with the small hexagonal platform. He felt little pain upon impact but his body was still racked with pain from the fight. Lying on his back, he straightened his head to see Branko looking right back down at him, before letting go of the ladder and sliding downwards once more, feet ready to strike Stamatis in the chest once more. Stamatis quickly shuffled out of the way as Branko landed on the platform. Hoisting himself to his feet, Stamatis dodged a quick punch by Branko and struck back, causing him to flinch and hold onto the pole for balance. One sudden movement too far would send either of them dropping to their deaths.

They started to try and hit each other, but both were too scared to try and reach further than they were hitting. Stamatis, clutching tightly to the pole, slowly inched his way towards Branko in order to get a better shot. He could see that Branko's face was rather busted up from the fist fight, his mouth bleeding rather profusely. Stamatis went for a punch, aiming to make the damage worse.

But it was a bad mistake. Branko masterfully caught the arm and used his brute strength to twist it, causing Stamatis's body in instructively crumble to the ground. Stamatis felt the surging pain in his elbow joint as it was twisted recklessly. Stamatis quickly hooked his feet beneath one of the rungs to stop him from sliding off the platform. But he felt Branko's entire body weight press down on him, before something grabbed his hair.

His head was struck fiercely against the metal floor, causing a loud clanging noise. Stamatis yelled at every strike, flailing his arms in an attempt to retaliate. But every strike was like a chair shot to the head, leaving a tremendous aching pain in its wake. Branko kept smashing Stamatis's head against the metal, before he grabbed his throat and started to push Stamatis towards the edge of the platform to his death.

Stamatis felt Branko's grip crush his windpipe. He managed to hook his leg against the ladder rung, but Branko saw it and started to reach for his leg. He struggled to reach for Stamatis's leg without letting go of Stamatis' throat, which made things a struggle. Stamatis flailed with his free arms and leg, trying to loosen Branko's grip and stop his hand from unhooking the leg. He knew that if his leg was unhooked, Branko could push him off the drop to his death. Frantically, he started to punch Branko in the face, which loosened the grip and dazed him. Stamatis managed to pull himself inwards towards the pole, still striking a dazed Branko, before turning around. Dodging a groggy punch from Branko, which hit the pole with such force it almost broke Branko's hand, Stamatis quickly nabbed the key from Branko's belt line and delivered one final punch which completely knocked away Branko's balance and toppled him. It was almost slow motion to Stamatis as he watched Branko fall back and off the drop. The tension was so high; he felt his heart almost stop that the fact that the fight was finally over. The sight of Branko falling backwards and off the drop was a sight that Stamatis thought he would never see.

Branko managed to grab the edge of the platform, but it was clear that there was no way out for him. Stamatis walked up and looked as the bloody and bruised Branko hung there, breathing heavily, looking up towards Stamatis.

"I win..." Stamatis said quietly. Branko let out a little, weak snigger.

"Don't push your luck..." Branko said quietly. "You will never kill me"

Stamatis continued to stare at the defeated Branko, trying to make sense of what he just said. Tutting, Stamatis lifted his foot, ready to stamp on Branko's hand and send him plunging to his death. He brought his foot down.

Branko quickly let go of he platform before Stamatis could stamp on it, causing him to fall. He didn't scream or cry. He remained utterly silent as he fell, vanishing within the darkness, the only sound being the sound of rushing wind against his body. But even that sound rung quiet in Stamatis's ears, before silence reigned where he stood. Stamatis collapsed against the pole, panting and puffing, trying to set his head straight from the brutal strikes he received during the fight. He pulled the key up and inspected it. He didn't know what it would unlock, but he had one thing set on his mind. He needed to meet back up with Blaze somehow. Climbing the ladder back up to safety, Stamatis set off, continuing to make his way around the platforms in his attempt to find Blaze, glad to know that Branko was finally ridden from his mind.


	42. The Clutches of Villainy

Chapter 42: The Clutches of Villainy

Blaze had been navigating her way slowly around the schematics of the spire, but she soon found herself back at where she was at the very beginning of their search, near the elevator that would take her back to the main gates of the castle. She could feel the power of the Sol Emeralds slowly regenerating from the blast of cold they received. The heat was beginning to heal the wound on her chest and the aching pain from her fight against Delago. But her search for an entrance had ended in failure. She sighed and leaned against the railings, trying to think about any other possible ways in.

Just then, she could hear a voice from below her. It was faint and illegible due to the noise of the engines, but the voice started to become clearer. It was calling her name. Blaze looked around below her, scanning the different walkways and platforms, trying to find the source of the voice. She felt her heart swell slightly when she saw Stamatis reveal himself, waving at her.

"Stamatis!" Blaze called.

"Blaze, stay there!" Stamatis called back. "I've got something that might help us break in!"

Blaze watched as Stamatis made his way through the walkways and up towards where she was standing. As he got closer, she could see the bruises that were already beginning to develop on his body. The same was true for Stamatis, who noticed the cuts on Blaze's body, especially her chest.

"Wow..." he said as he approached her. "You got banged up quite badly"

"I could say the same for you..." Blaze retorted. "...I ran into Delago, and we got into a fight"

"Same story here, but with Branko instead. I sent him flying right off the castle" Stamatis explained, looking downwards towards the deadly drop below.

"I jammed Delago's arm in the floor with the help of a pipe" Blaze explained. "Hopefully, he'll be going down with this castle. In any case, did you have any luck in finding a way in?" she asked.

"Well, I couldn't actually find a way in..." Stamatis said quietly. He the pulled out the key that Branko possessed earlier. "...but I found this key on Branko while we were fighting. I figure it's gotta open something" he explained, looking at the relatively big key.

"I wonder what it will open..." Blaze said quietly. "...I think I know where we could start"

Within minutes, they were back where they had begun, in front of the castle gates, with key in hand.

"You think it's gonna open this?" Stamatis asked, looking a little sceptical.

"It's a good place to start, I think" Blaze answered, looking at the door. "The keyhole and key seem to be roughly the same size, and if it doesn't work here, then we can just keep looking for other doors. Let's just try it and see what happens"

Stamatis shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the large wooden doors. Placing the key into the keyhole, he took a deep breath and turned it.

Meanwhile, deep within the castle...

"Marcelino...can you not see them? They are opening the doors to this 'impenetrable' castle..."

_"My lord...I apologize for all of this. I assure you our plans will not fail"_

"Tell me; was it your decision to give Branko the key?"

_"Yes...I was foolish. I thought Branko and Delago would beat them..."_

"Evidently not, Marcelino. And now we are in a tricky situation"

_"Please allow me command of the castle's forces. I swear I can beat them this time around. They've come far enough"_

"You will be doing no such thing"

_"My...m-my lord?"_

"Tell me, Marcelino...what have you contributed to this mission of ours?"

_"A lot, my lord. Not only do I have full and unopposed access to everything in Laleh, which allowed us to get the Hestia Blade with ease, I also supplied the forces that built and maintain this castle. Is this surely not enough for you?"_

"I do accept that what you have done is of great measure, Marcelino. For that I am grateful. I am also impressed with how you kept this castle and our intentions a secret for so much time"

_"Indeed, my lord"_

"But the castle has been built, and the Hestia Blade is currently under our possession. Or rather, **my **possession"

_"And I know that once we arrive at Zanskar and crush the pathetic capital with the powered ice beam, we will have taken a step closer towards world domination"_

"Marcelino...you say 'we' a lot. It's almost as if you're forgetting who is in charge here. May I remind you that I can end you in an instant? Have you forgotten of my power, especially now that the Hestia Blade is within close proximity?"

_"I...I-I apologize, my lord"_

"You may have built the castle and retrieved the Hestia Blade for me, and I promised you a slice of my full power once my plan had been carried out. Yet I feel that you haven't been as useful as I thought..."

_"W-what?"_

"Delago reported to me after the attack on Laleh. He told me of your struggle with Wolfgang. Tell me; didn't he have you on the floor with his sword to your neck, ready to end your life?"

_"I...I..._"

"And if it wasn't for Delago, you would have been dead?"

_"...Correct..."_

"Then it is true that your fighting skills are not as adept as your henchmen, Marcelino..."

_"Sir...I promise you, I can kill them now! Your plan will be a blazing success, I promise! Just give me a chance; I know those two are weaker than Wolfgang, even with their cruddy Sol Emeralds!"_

"You talk a lot of fight, Marcelino. Therefore I shall cut a deal with you, one that will either make you, or break you"

_"I am ready for anything"_

"I will give you a fragment of my power right here and now. Then, I shall open a portal that will bring the two we seek to destroy right up here, to you. You will face them, and if you wish to prove that you are still useful to me, you will kill them. And if not, then I'm sure they will not be hesitant to kill **you**..."

_"...I...understand, my lord. I will not fail you"_

"And if you do fail...I shall be waiting for them in the reactor. That girl will be able to see her lover one more time...before I kill her..."

_"And what of her lover?"_

"...There are only three hours left until sunrise...heh heh heh..."


	43. Milos's Flying Machine

Chapter 43: Milos's Flying Machine

They opened the large wooden door and started moving in at once. As both Blaze and Stamatis walked, they saw a strange sight.

They were within a large, empty courtyard, with entrances to different sections the castle in front of them. They realised how large the castle was itself, now that there were no walls or distance to obstruct the archaic view. But what was strangest was the silence; the absence of troops ready to fire...and a strange, glowing blue circle sat a few metres in front of them. They looked at it, watching as little fragments of blue light lifted up from the strange phenomenon.

"Blaze...what is that?" Stamatis asked. Blaze, who was just as confused, slowly walked up to it, unsure if it was a dangerous thing or not. As she got close to it, she could almost swear that it was beckoning for her to step in. She turned around to Stamatis.

"I think we should stand in it..." she said. Stamatis walked up, a look of worry painted on his face.

"Are you sure?" Stamatis asked.

"I feel no power resonating from it. I don't think it could cause us any harm. And if it does, we'll just step out as fast as we can" Blaze explained. Stamatis crossed his arms, still unsure.

"Put your foot in it" Stamatis asked. Blaze looked back at the glowing blue circle and shrugged, placing her foot in it. Nothing strange happened for the two minutes that passed.

"...Nothing wrong" Blaze concluded. She then fully stepped in, to which Stamatis started to walk onto it as well. Once the both of them were in, they stood still in the middle of the circle.

Suddenly, before they could utter a word, their surroundings were bathed in a light blue glow, shrouding everything they could see. Both Blaze and Stamatis suddenly closed their eyes and held onto each other for reassurance, hoping that what they had done was not a fatal error.

Meanwhile, all the way back in the Laleh courtyards; Lolita watched as Milos struck the final nail into the flying machine he had built. It looked a lot more elegant than when he first started, although it was still the colour of dark steel. It was shaped just like Garuda's flying eagle machine, with the wings and beak, just in case that they served a purpose to the aerodynamics of the machine. Milos sat down and wiped his forehead, finally sucking in a deep breath before exhaling.

"It's finished" he said. Lolita walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is it going to work?" she asked. Milos stood up and looked at Lolita.

"We haven't got much time" Milos said. "Help me pull this outside into the courtyards, and place it where I can have at least three hundred metres of a runway to lift off"

The two proceeded to move the machine out into the open night air. As they moved it, Milos felt a pit developing in his stomach. He was scared that the machine wouldn't work, and if it did, what he would be getting himself into. But he couldn't just leave Stamatis and Blaze by themselves on the flying castle. He had to do something!

They had finished pushing the machine outside and Milos turned it to the right angle for takeoff. Wiping his brow, he looked up at one of the castle's clock towers.

"It's four in the morning..." he said quietly. "...yet I don't feel tired"

Lolita was also feeling afraid. She was struggling with an inner conflict. She knew that Milos only meant good when he wanted to take to the skies to help Blaze and Stamatis. But under such pressure, Lolita had discovered feelings within her that she had never thought to be real before. Every time she was near Milos, she felt warm, somewhat nervous, and unable to fully speak her mind. She felt restricted, yet she felt compelled by this fox who had built such an impressive replica of the flying machine. She was infatuated with him, and she didn't want to see him go. It would have been horrible if he would have died, and there was no doubt in the fact that testing the flying machine would be dangerous, if not fatal.

Milos sat on the machine and looked at Lolita.

"How is it supposed to start?" she asked, hoping that Milos would have overlooked it and give up, so that he could spend time being with her. Milos gestured to a small crank that stuck out on the front.

"Well, this spike here is also connected to the Maldion tank" he explained. "If I strike this down with enough force, the other end of the spike will collide with the Maldion rocks. I'm hoping the friction will create enough heat to set off a couple of the stones, and start a chain reaction that should start the engine and set me flying off to the skies. From there, if the wings have been designed correctly, I should be able to fly it with ease for a prolonged amount of time, and I can reach the floating castle to help Blaze and my brother" he explained. Lolita then stepped forward suddenly.

"But what if it doesn't work? I don't want you to get hurt, Milos..." she said quietly. She let her emotional guard down and felt tears starting to form in her eyes. Milos noticed this and sighed wistfully. He too had been developing affection for Lolita, similar to his crush with Blaze. But this time, he felt that it was certainly possible. He just wished he could have spent more time with her and perhaps develop their relationship even more. But he knew that there were more pressing matters at hand, and that his feelings would have to wait for another time.

"Lolita...I'm sorry, but I have to do this" Milos said. "What if Blaze and Stamatis are in trouble? I can't just let them struggle by themselves, they could use with my help. And I'm willing to take any risks to help my big brother. I love him, you know...I mean, he's just my big brother, he means everything and anything to me. If he died...I wouldn't know what to do...so I have to try. Even if this flying machine breaks into pieces, or crashes in the air and kills me, even if I die from this...I know I can die knowing I tried my best to help my big brother...do you understand, Lolita? I'm really sorry..." he said quietly, watching Lolita as she tried to keep her composure.

"B-but...what about me?" she said quietly. "If you die...I...I...*sniff*..." she snivelled, placing a hand to her mouth to try and control herself. Milos felt his own heart tearing at the image. He felt his feelings grow stronger and stronger within him. Stepping off of the flying machine, he walked up to Lolita and gave her a hug, holding her tightly. Lolita did the same, digging her eyes into his shoulders in an attempt not to burst into tears.

"Lolita...I promise you, everything is going to be okay..." Milos said quietly. "Besides...you won't care too much about me if I die. You'll get used to it; I'm just some mechanic who is trying to do some good in his life. If it means helping to save the world, then my life doesn't mean that much to anyone really..."

Lolita pulled her head away and looked into Milos's solemn eyes, placing her forehead against his, pressing her lips together to gain control of her emotions and gain a voice through her tear choked throat.

"No..." she whispered, sniffing and clenching her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again. "You're worth so much more to me than that..."

Then, at that moment, she closed the gap between their heads and kissed him. Milos's felt a sudden wave of heat burst through his face down into his body, as if he had teleported into a desert. Her lips were soft on his, the slight movement of them sending shockwaves down Milos's spine. Milos couldn't barely feel any of his body from the reaction, his eyes shut as he tried to comprehend the immense sensation that he was experiencing.

But unfortunately, the experience was short lived as Lolita let go suddenly and took a few steps back. Milos stood there, almost disappointed that their kiss had stopped so abruptly. He was tempted to walk right up to Lolita and kiss her back, just in order to feel the stunning pleasure once more. His lips were still tingling from it.

"...Go" Lolita said quietly, looking at the flying machine. "...May the spirit of Garuda bless that flying machine"

Milos realised what he had set out to do once more. The sensation culled itself beneath the pressure of the situation. Milos turned to the flying machine and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the machine and sat back down on it, grabbing a nearby hammer that had been left on it earlier.

"Well...here goes nothing" Milos said, raising the hammer. Then, with all his might, he struck down on the spire.


	44. King Marcelino

Chapter 44: King Marcelino

The light around them vanished and turned into the picture of dark stone walls and pillars. They realised that they were in a large, fancy room, where weapons and red fabric adorned the walls and a red carpet lead all of the way to the end of the room, where a large, decorated statue of what appeared to be Garuda sat, a throne carved into the marble stone. It certainly was a magnificent sight to behold. Great glass chandiliers hung from the ceiling with a multitude of candles giving the room an eerie glow. There were large arch open windows by the walls, showing the view of the night sky. Both Blaze and Stamatis looked around, administering the views before their eyes fell upon the red silk of the golden throne in front of them.

There was a figure sat on the throne, dressed ina familiar armour. Blaze and Stamatis ran as fast as they could towards the grand throne before stopping a small distance away, confirming their fears of the identity of the man on the throne. It was Marcelino, sitting on the throne, situated on a raised platform. He was looking down at the two, his large axe rested on his lap. This was the moment that Blaze had been fighting for, she thought. A chance to put the culprit to rest, once and for all.

"...Marcelino..." Blaze said quietly. "Stamatis...let me talk to him...I want some answers from this man..." Stamatis nodded and stepped back whilst Blaze walked up the staircase onto the raised platform, standing merely metres away from the man she had been pursuing all this time.

"...I commend you" Marcelino said after a small silence. "Although your body has been adorned with many scars, you have made it this far..."

Blaze noticed the damage she had suffered, but the Sol Emeralds were still gaining their power back, making her oblivious to any pain she was supposed to suffer.

"Where's Silver!" Blaze shouted at once. Marcelino remained quiet, his dark fur masking the many qualities of his face. The only thing that stuck out where his sharp teeth and his long snout.

"I'm afraid you will have to delve deeper into this castle if you wish to find your lover, Blaze" Marcelino explained. "However there is one more obstacle that you have to face before you can be re-united with him. And that..." he said. Marcelino then stood up, still clutching his axe. His red cape unfurled behind him, and his towering height doubled that of Blaze and Stamatis. Blaze gasped quietly as Marcelino stood, his influence becoming somewhat stronger as he stood.

"...is me" he finished, smirking.

"I don't care who I have to fight...I will stop you, Marcelino" Blaze said determinedly, drawing her sword. Marcelino then chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"You're a rather fiery character, aren't you?" he asked. "It's just like Gustav said..."

Blaze gasped upon the mentioning of Gustav's name. The name itself brought back harsh memories, and she suddenly remembered the letters that Marcelino sent to Gustav.

"What did you two have in common...tell me!" Blaze shouted.

"Oh...it is a rather epic yarn to tell, I must say" Marcelino answered. "It's long, but seeming your final moments are at hand, I may as well reveal to you my carefully stitched plan..."

Blaze stood her ground, ready to strike against Marcelino, who stood still holding his axe.

"It all started ten years ago..." Marcelino said quietly. "Back in the day when we lived in a wonderful world called The Principality of Alba. Laleh was ruled by a certain queen who went by the name of Teresa"

"That's Lolita's mother..." Blaze said quietly.

"Indeed it was" Marcelino answered. "Teresa was, in my personal opinion, a pathetic queen. She knew nothing of the standards that we lived in back in those days. I was her aide, just like your father was to Gustav. I, like your father, also had a plot to attempt to dethrone the queen, but instead of bringing iridescent peace to the land, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of Gustav..." he explained.

"Gustav was a monster!" Blaze shouted. "Why would anyone want to be like him?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Marcelino argued back. "Gustav knew what was best for Laleh. As one of the biggest cities of the world, Gustav wanted a secure alliance, and in return, he would supply the city of Laleh with riches and goods. But Teresa was stupid enough to oppose Gustav's great ways, and refused any of his attempts to conform! I tried to change Teresa's mind, but she wouldn't have any of it. That was when I decided that enough was enough, and with the help and support of Gustav, I would usurp the throne! That was when our letter rapport begun" he explained. "The law of Laleh dictates that if there is no next of kin to the throne, then the aide becomes the next monarch. I knew that if I could persuade the masses of Laleh to revolt against Teresa, she would be ousted from the throne and I would become the next king!" he revealed.

"But how?" Blaze questioned. "Surely nobody would listen to a madman like you!"

"Ah, but you see, my dear..." Marcelino continued. "Gustav was a great politician. Therefore, his speeches where naturally a strong point of his. I used his words to persuade the armies of Laleh to listen to what I had to say, and they were very content with my promises of riches and food, unlike Teresa's stubborn, resisting ways. I convinced them to revolt and help me usurp the throne! It took a couple of months, and I was almost ready to begin, until...it happened"

"...Happened?" Blaze asked. "What happened?"

Marcelino started to walk forward, his heavy armour clunking with every footstep. The axe, which was secure in both of his hands, slumped as one hand released it. Blaze started to move back, being careful not to start a confrontation too soon. She wanted to know the entire story before she set about to try and defeat Marcelino.

"Teresa...she became pregnant" Marcelino revealed. "I couldn't kill her in such a state. Even the armies would disagree to me killing a pregnant woman, no matter what status she had! With Teresa pregnant, whatever child came out would succeed her! My plan had failed!" Marcelino shouted, suddenly waving one of his hands about in fury.

"...You mean Lolita...but surely you are her father? You must have known you were bringing it upon yourself!" Blaze explained.

"You fool!" Marcelino yelled back. "I was never Lolita's father! The man who impregnated Teresa was some peasant that she had fallen in love with!"

Blaze gritted her teeth at the selfishness of the man she was confronting.

"So you aren't her father after all...just like Gustav wasn't my father..." she said quietly.

"I was furious that my plan had suddenly ceased. I couldn't believe I was so close to taking the throne, only to have it be stopped by that little runt!" Marcelino complained. "So I killed him! I cut off his head and burnt it! It was the perfect revenge..." he added, clenching his fist, almost sounding satisfied by what he had done. Blaze, on the other hand, gagged at the image.

"You...that's awful!" she yelled. She felt sicker listening to Marcelino by the second.

"Of course, the whole atrocity landed me in court" Marcelino continued. "I was so lost in my rage that I didn't cover myself up well enough, and I was caught and tried. I knew that if I was found guilty, I would never be king. That was when I called for Gustav's help, and he aided me by creating false, yet flawless evidence to prove me innocent. He also used his powers to bribe members of the court to support my release" he explained. "It took many months, but eventually, I was released from the courts with all charges dropped, thanks to Gustav. He was a brilliant politician and a brilliant spin doctor as well. Absolutely peerless" he praised.

"Gustav deserves no praise..." Blaze said quietly. "Men like him and you deserve to die for their actions!"

"Can it" Marcelino cut across. "I care not for that. The only thing that matters is that I am now the king of Laleh. And it was all that mattered to me when I walked out of the courts. I was ready to take my revenge, and my innocence caused the armies to support my cause even more. My dead plan had risen from the ashes, stronger than ever, ready to take over Laleh and banish Teresa to the darkest corners of the world. But as fate would have it, the day I was ready to raid...was the day she gave birth to Lolita" he said quietly. "Once again, my plan had been shot down. I was almost ready to give up until a miracle happened the next day. Teresa just vanished from the room where she was recovering from her birth...and left the throne vacant" he explained.

"But...the throne couldn't have been vacant" Blaze noted. "If Lolita had been born, she was the next in line!"

"But she was newborn, and that meant that she was deemed ill fit to rule" Marcelino said. "So a vote was held as to whether I would become the king, or the Laleh council would rule until Lolita became of age. With one last bit of help from Gustav, he rigged the vote, and allowed me to rise to the throne as the king of Laleh..."

"You sick monster..." Blaze said quietly. "You're just a power hungry bastard! You don't care for the people of Laleh at all, do you?"

"Like I said, it matters not" Marcelino butted in. "Now that I was king, everything was perfect for me, even if it came at a price with Lolita. Gustav supplied the riches to Laleh and in return, I pledged my loyal allegiance to him. I decided that I would take a page out of his book and raise Lolita like Gustav was raising you at the time..." he said, smirking. "Had the story ended like that, then it would have been perfect. But you..." he added, suddenly frowning. "You killed him! You killed my hero and my idol!"

"And I'm damn glad of it as well!" Blaze retorted. "And I'm going to personally make sure that you suffer the same fate!"

"But will you really?" Marcelino cut across. "You haven't the strength that I possess..."

"What are you talking about?" Blaze shouted back, trying not to feel intimidated. It was hard; the size of Marcelino was imposing enough.

"My story hasn't finished just yet" Marcelino explained. "Gustav's death was a pure tragedy...but with it came another miracle in the shape of the Hestia Blade..." he said quietly.

"It reformed outside of your city, didn't it?" Blaze confirmed.

"And I felt blessed to see it!" Marcelino added. "It was as if Gustav's last wish was to pass the blade down to me! The guards reported to me that it was lying out in front of the castle, so I took the chance and told my guards that I would personally retrieve it, as part of my services as king. So I walked out into the open fields, lusting for the insane power that lay within the Hestia Blade! Gustav made one mistake when he possessed the blade, and that was the fact that he didn't use its powers at once to eradicate everything! I was prepared not to make the same mistake, and as I clutched the blade by its hilt, I was ready to welcome the power into my own hands and crush the feeble people of Laleh and the world beneath my fingers..."

Blaze watched as Marcelino, whose hand was reaching out to the sky as if he were attempting to grasp the chandeliers above, brought his hand down and frowned, a deep sigh emanating from his jaws.

"But I received no power..." he said quietly, his eyes closed. "The power I had awaited was absent. In my hands, I clutched a useless blade. I couldn't understand why there was no power in the blade, but I knew I couldn't reveal my true intentions to the Lalehian people behind me. I took the Hestia Blade back to the castle and I locked it in the glass cabinet in my treasure room, where I started to look for ways to rejuvenate the devastating power it once possessed" he explained. "For days and days I researched, desperate to seize the power. But I had no such luck...until he arrived" Marcelino finished.

"...Who's 'he'?" Blaze asked quietly. Marcelino's face forged into a menacing smirk.

"My master...Lord Caelus" he said quietly.

Blaze had no idea of who Lord Caelus was, but the revelation that Marcelino wasn't the one behind the floating castle caused her to gasp unconsciously. As if it was an impulse, she stepped forward, desperate to know more.

"Who is he!" she shouted.

"I have no idea as from where he came..." Marcelino said quietly. "But Lord Caelus is an entity with such marvellous power. He is the leader of the Caelus Guard, and I personally relay all of his orders" he said.

"Explain yourself!" Blaze yelled once more.

"...One night, when I was busy looking into the Hestia Blade, Lord Caelus came to me through the night skies. He told me that he knew a way of unlocking the power in the Hestia Blade, and that with my assistance, he and I could use its power to take over the world by force" Marcelino said lustfully, his jagged teeth showing through his demonic smile. "He asked for my allegiance to the Caelus Guard, along with Branko and Delago, who were my personal bodyguards. And in return, when his rule over the world was ascertained, he would fully unlock the power of the Hestia Blade and allow me full access to it. I knew that this was the chance I had been waiting for, therefore I accepted his offer. The following morning, once every week, me, Branko and Delago would set off to the mountain range in search of the Zephyr Ruins" he said.

"And you turned it into a floating castle...but how?" Blaze questioned.

"I admit I personally didn't believe that we could turn the Zephyr Ruins into a floating castle. But Lord Caelus knew everything that we needed to know, and with his guidance and my materials, we created the floating castle. His mind allowed us to create stunning new materials, and machinery unlike anything I have ever seen. It is truly power in motion, thus displayed by the ice cannon installed within the spire. But we had to keep it a secret. I ordered my most corrupt guards to align with the Caelus Guard and protect the castle whilst it was being built. Many of my other castle guards came in search of me it seems, and they were greeted with certain death..."

"So that explains their 'vanishings'..." Blaze said quietly.

"Vanishings indeed" Marcelino added. "The construction of this castle took three whole years to complete. But when it was complete, I staged my own disappearance by setting off into the mountains one last time to board this beautiful castle" he explained. "And ever since, the skies of Laleh have been filled with the excess Maldion smoke from the engines, casting a constant rain on the city"

Blaze had heard enough of the story. She clutched her rapier tightly and took a deep breath.

"You've spoken for long enough. I demand to know why you captured Silver, and I demand his release!" she yelled. Marcelino started to laugh loudly, clutching his stomach as he craned his head to the sky, emitting bellowing laughs.

"In all honesty, I don't know why we captured Silver" he said. "But Lord Caelus tells me that his captivity here in the castle fits in with his master plan..." Marcelino armed his axe, ready to fight. "...so I'm afraid I can't let you take him home just yet"

"You monster...I'll kill you!" Stamatis shouted suddenly. Marcelino quickly raised a finger, causing an ice cage to trap Stamatis where he stood. Stamatis looked in shock, beating against the somewhat unbreakable ice. Blaze was also in shock, looking back at Marcelino.

"How did you do that?" Blaze demanded.

"Lord Caelus has inherited me with a fragment of his powers" Marcelino announced. "With it, I have the ability to manipulate water and ice in any way I please. And with it, I will crush both you and your friend, and you will never see Silver again!"


	45. Fight for the Future

Chapter 45: Fight for the Future

In an instant, Marcelino raised his axe and tried to cut Blaze in half with a downwards swing. Blaze quickly hopped backwards, the mighty axe smashing to the ground and causing a small tremor which made Blaze unsteady on her feet. Blaze quickly rushed in and slashed Marcelino's side, but her rapier bounced right off of the thick breastplate. She saw Marcelino's free hand reaching for her, a blue ball converging in his palm. Before a quick ice burst shot out, Blaze jumped back once more, avoiding getting her face frozen by the attack. Blaze watched as Marcelino readied his axe once more, sniggering deeply as he slowly walked towards Blaze.

Marcelino lifted his axe once more and kept it above his head. Blaze knew that Marcelino couldn't reach Blaze; the two were metres apart. But Blaze watched as a blue aura travelled from Marcelino's arms into the axe, moving all the way towards the blade of the axe. Blaze started to run towards Marcelino, hoping that she could stop whatever as going to happen. But Marcelino quickly slammed the axe down to the ground, releasing a large blue shockwave that caught Blaze.

She suddenly felt an icy cold sensation around her legs and looked down to see that her legs were frozen into the ground. Blaze closed her eyes and concentrated, sending heat waves down through her body to her legs to melt the ice. Marcelino started to run towards Blaze, his axe turned to the flat side, ready to strike Blaze like a golf ball. Blaze quickly smashed out of the ice that trapped her, but it was too late. The flat side of the large axe struck Blaze like a speeding truck, sending her flying into the ice cage where Stamatis was trapped. Blaze collided with the cage and Stamatis, shattering the cage and sending both to the wall. Upon impact, Blaze slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Stamatis, who clutched his head in pain, watched as the weapons that were hung on the walls fell around him. He looked up to see Marcelino, laughing loudly, with a hand to his stomach.

"Incredible!" he shouted. "The girl who defeated Gustav cannot even stand one on one against me, the great Marcelino!"

Stamatis growled and stood up, grabbing one of the sabres that had fallen to the floor. He looked quickly at Blaze, before turning around and walking towards Marcelino.

"And do you think the odds were even fair?" Stamatis argued back.

"Do I care about odds?" Marcelino asked. "No. Because as far as I'm concerned, she got herself into the situation. With armour this thick and an axe this large, she had no chance from the beginning!"

Stamatis held his arm out, waving the sabre about a little. He knew a lot about swordplay from the local tournaments that he entered and won.

"She defeated Gustav with the help of the Sol Emeralds...and they haven't had enough time to be restored to full strength" Stamatis explained. "You got lucky. But your luck, and your villainy ends here, with me!" Stamatis yelled. He suddenly ran towards Marcelino, ducking beneath his large axe and slashing against his tough armour. The sabre bounced off the thick chest plate, but Stamatis quickly jumped and kicked on Marcelino's arm, propelling him into the air as he lightly cut Marcelino between the chinks of armour on his shoulder. Marcelino grunted and turned around, stepping back as he touched his shoulder, looking at the sprinkle of blood that trailed on his gauntlet.

Marcelino quickly started to run at Stamatis, swinging his axe once more at him. Stamatis jumped back, avoiding the deadly sharp edge of the axe and struck against Marcelino's breast plate again. He was met by a swinging metal fist to his face, bringing the familiar pain of the fight with Branko back to his face. Stamatis fell to the floor, watching as Marcelino was prepared to shove the axe down on Stamatis and crush him. Stamatis quickly rolled, the axe striking the floor. It struck with so much force that the tremor threw Stamatis right back up to his feet. He stumbled a little, watching as an ice spear formed in Marcelino's free hand. As Marcelino swung it, Stamatis struck it with his sabre, smashing it to pieces. He then tackled Marcelino fiercely, crashing against the hard armour, but failed to take Marcelino down. In a struggle, Stamatis freed himself from the tangle and put distance between the two, leaving a tear in Marcelino's cape in the process.

The two started at each other for a little bit. Stamatis turned his head to check if Blaze was alright, and felt his heart sink slightly when he saw that she was still knocked out. Turning his head back around, he saw Marcelino charging right at Stamatis with axe in hand. Once more. Stamatis ducked the large axe, slashing at Marcelino's legs, which failed due to the large plates of armour that protected them. He blocked a punch from Marcelino and rolled out of the way of a quick ice blast, putting distance back in between them. The distance wasn't kept for long as Marcelino started to walk towards Stamatis.

He stopped and placed the axe standing up next to him. Stamatis suddenly realised the staggering size of the axe, which was as tall as Marcelino himself. The double sided blade of the axe was also very intimidating, the edges gleaming in the light of the room. Stamatis watched as Marcelino started to hold his breath, his free hand clenched tightly. He could hear grunts of concentration and effort escaping from Marcelino's lips. They soon started to turn into growls, and then a prolonged shout.

Suddenly, Marcelino threw his hand out and an ice beam shot right out of it. Stamatis gasped and fell on his back, the ice beam missing his face by inches. Had he been caught, it would have surely killed him, if not caused a lot of damage. He watched as the beam dissipated, but quickly struggled to his feet as he saw Marcelino jumping athletically into the air, his axe raised and primed to cut him in half. Stamatis quickly rolled around Marcelino as he landed, dodging the falling axe and sprung up behind him, slashing at the back of Marcelino's shoulder. Marcelino yelled in pain and stumbled as he clutched his back, his left shoulder plate falling to the floor. He then turned around and gritted his teeth.

"Enough of this!" he shouted. With might that Stamatis had never seen before in a living being, Marcelino swung the axe around his head like an Olympic hammer before he lobbed it at Stamatis. Stamatis watched as the spinning axe sped right towards him. By impulse, he dropped to the floor, the axe just slicing the skin on his arm. Stamatis yelled and grabbed his arm, falling to the floor. He heard a thunderous crash and craned his neck to see that the axe had crashed into one of the room's pillars. The pillar was smashed and toppled like a large tree, leaving a large, stony marble mess as a result. Stamatis slowly got up, unable to believe that Marcelino had the strength to do such a thing.

He stood up straight, still holding his somewhat skinned arm and looked at Marcelino, who seemed to be rather furious.

"Now I'm pissed off..." he said quietly. His cape was dragging behind his fallen shoulder plate. Marcelino proceeded to rip his cape off before drawing a long sword that was concealed from behind the cape. "Let's continue!"

Marcelino suddenly ran at Stamatis with a lot more speed than before, attempting to slash at Stamatis. It was impossible for Stamatis to duck this time, so he blocked the sword with his own, trying to slash at Marcelino's sword arm. The two traded sword blows for at least a minute, trying to get the upper hand. Stamatis finally managed to duck beneath one of Marcelino's swings. As he came back up, he quickly grabbed onto Marcelino, disorientating him for a second. Quickly shuffling around him, Stamatis saw a small gap at the collar of the breastplate and struck it, causing a small cut on the back of Marcelino's head. Marcelino yelled and swung around, almost beheading Stamatis. Luckily, Stamatis blocked the sword before it could do so. They traded more blows before Stamatis jumped back, ending the exchange.

Marcelino was taking deep breaths, feeling the back of his head. He looked to see trickles of blood on his gauntlet, before he chuckled a little.

"You're pretty good" he said as they moved. "I didn't expect such fine swordplay from a peasant such as yourself"

"Keep your mouth shut" Stamatis spat back. "I'm not finished with you. I'll make you pay for hurting my friend!"

"It's foolish that you allow such camaraderie get in the way of the fight" Marcelino noted. "It'll be your downfall..."

Stamatis yelled and ran right back at Marcelino, the two trading blows as well. As they slashed, Stamatis was unaware of Marcelino's free hand, that was charging a shot of icy power in his hand. Quickly, Marcelino let and ice burst flow free from it, colliding with Stamatis's face. Stamatis fell back, rubbing his face in pain, trying to melt the painful frost that had suddenly gathered. Marcelino jumped and was about to behead Stamatis with a powerful swing of his sword. Stamatis, having looked up, quickly rolled out of the way just as Marcelino landed. He quickly slashed against Marcelino's leg, striking off a piece of armour from his right thigh. Marcelino quickly swung around, with Stamatis ducking his sword yet again. Stamatis threw all his momentum and energy into his next swing, striking and successfully denting Marcelino's breastplate. Marcelino fell onto his back.

Stamatis ran at him and continued to trade blows with Marcelino, who was struggling to get up. As he got up, he managed to slightly slash Stamatis's ankle, which caused him to bend down in pain. As he fell down, he still managed to block some of Marcelino's stronger slashes. Getting to his feet, they traded more blows, Stamatis trying his best to ignore the pain that was emanating from the numerous slash wounds he had received. Suddenly remembering his fight with Branko, he closed in on Marcelino and grabbed his sword arm as it went for another slash. Disarmed, Marcelino could do little as Stamatis started to punch him in the face with his free hand, each vicious punch causing severe damage. The first did little outside damage, but the second bent Marcelino's snout. The third almost snapped his bottom jaw and the fourth struck his eye so hard, it started to bleed. Marcelino screamed in pain and forced Stamatis off of his arm. It was then, as he felt a searing pain in his arm, that the fight was lost.

Stamatis watched as a figure approached behind him, a long silver rapier slicing right through Marcelino's free arm. Marcelino let out a shrill yell as the blood covered rapier detracted. Stamatis realised that Blaze had gotten back to her feet and had delivered the stab to his arm. As Marcelino turned around, Stamatis struck Marcelino with his sabre behind his knee, slashing the tendon and toppling Marcelino to the floor. Marcelino pathetically tried to fight back, but with a powerful swing, Stamatis struck Marcelino's blade right out of his hand, before raising his sabre and brining it down on Marcelino, breaking right through his breastplate and impaling him in his stomach. The fight was over.

**Well, I'm leaving for my holiday tomorrow, therefore I will not be able to update this story for about a week. Upon returning, I shall post a few more chapters before I am leaving once more for a two week holiday, before returning home for a much longer time. So until then, have fun! And if you're in a fix of boredom, check out my other stories! They're guaranteed to keep you interested while I'm gone!**


	46. Marcelino's Defeat

Chapter 46: Marcelino's Defeat

Marcelino's eyes were wide open as the sabre sat impaled through his stomach. Stamatis, still feeling the fury of the fight coursing through his veins, pushed the sabre even deeper, cutting through the stone ground until the hilt of the blade reached Marcelino's armour, pinning him to the ground like a helpless bug. Marcelino released pained, yet silent grunts as the sabre sunk right through him. The excruciating pain choked his throat and prevented him from screaming.

Blaze looked at Stamatis, then back down at Marcelino, who was lying in a forming pool of blood that also seeped out of the armour around the sabre's hilt. The two could hear him struggling to breathe, gasping for air, his body letting out involuntary, small spasms.

"...Are you okay, Blaze?" Stamatis asked. Blaze gave a nod.

"My head hurts a little, but I'll be fine. It's all over now..." she said quietly, still gazing at Marcelino.

"...*gasp*...heh...heh...what do you mean...it's...all over?" Marcelino said suddenly, still gasping for breath, but still able to release an evil smile. "You're...forgetting something..."

The two remembered at that point what Marcelino was talking about.

"Lord Caelus..." Blaze said quietly. Marcelino let out a weak laugh, before coughing.

"This...will be as far...*wheeze*...as you go" he added. Blaze then placed her rapier against Marcelino's bare neck.

"I've had enough of you" Blaze said adamantly. "Be it you or Caelus, you're all scum to me and you're all responsible for this. Once I rescue Silver and destroy this castle, I'll be sure that you and Caelus are wiped away from history"

And with that, she sunk her rapier right into Marcelino's neck. Marcelino grimaced upon being stabbed, his body cringing, before it became limp in the floor. Blaze kept her rapier in his neck for an elongated amount of time before pulling it out. She then looked up towards the throne, where a portal had formed whilst they were busy.

"This is it, Blaze" Stamatis said. "I think the final battle is coming..."

"You look hurt. Should I handle this?" Blaze asked.

"I'll come with you" Stamatis explained. "But I think I've had my share of fighting for today...heh heh" he added, rubbing one of his cuts. He didn't realise that there was blood dripping from all of them, making him look rather gruesome.

"Very well. I'll try not to get knocked out" Blaze said, smiling a little. But she couldn't deny the fact that her heart was pounding. Not just as the fact that the climactic battle was coming, but also at the fact that she would see Silver again, after such a long time apart.

The two looked to the portal and walked towards it. Standing in the glowing circle, they allowed themselves to be swallowed by the light and transported deep down into the heart of the castle...

**I have returned from holiday number one. Unfortunately, I am only home for three more days before I set off once again for the most part of two weeks. So here is the deal, there will be one new chapter a day until I leave, and when I return, the story will return to its one chapter every two days schedule. But you must be thinking 'When is this going to end?' Well, I can certainly reveal that after I return from holiday number two, the FINAL SIX CHAPTERS SHALL BE REVEALED, one by one (dramatic Caps Lock). So do some maths and you'll know how much of the story is left. Thanks for the patience!**


	47. Lord Caelus

Chapter 47: Lord Caelus

The light faded from around them, and they found themselves in a small, dark room. As the light fully faded, they examined their surroundings. The walls were made of a chilled dark metal, and pipes ran in and out of the walls. The room was a short corridor, leading towards what looked like an elevator. As they looked behind them, they saw a door that appeared to be locked.

"...I think that elevator will lead you further down" Stamatis guessed, pointing to the elevator. "...If it's okay with you, I'm going to stay up here and try to recover"

"That's okay" Blaze answered. "You've done enough fighting. But if things sound rough down there, be ready to follow" she added. Stamatis replied with a nod. Blaze turned around and took a deep breath. She felt that the Sol Emeralds were nearing their full strength again, but still didn't have enough power to engage in a super transformation. Walking towards the elevator, she pressed the button and watched as the gate closed behind her.

"...Good luck, Blaze" Stamatis said, before the elevator slowly begun its descent into the heart of the floating castle.

Minutes later, after travelling down a dark tunnel; the lift seemed to emerge at the edge of a large circular shaped room. Blaze gasped at once at the stunning imagery in front of her. The walls were made of a luminous gold metal, with many windows displaying what looked like control rooms. In the centre of the room was a large pedestal, in which a large blue beam crossed from the pedestal to the ceiling. The Hestia Blade lay within the beam, seemingly wrapped by the immense pillar of power. It looked like a large reactor. The floor was also made of a see through glass material, where beneath the glass was the view of complicated machinery. The conical shape of the giant chamber below the floor made Blaze realise that she was possibly within the core of the castle's ice cannon.

But as the lift reached the floor. Blaze's heart stopped. She saw something at the other end of the room that stunned her completely.

At the other side of the room, there was a glass chamber embedded into the wall on a raised platform, with stairs attached. Blaze found her legs working independently against her mind, running towards the glass chamber. As she sprinted up the stairs and pressed her eyes against the glass to see inside, she wiped all belief in her mind that what she was seeing was not a hallucination.

Within the glass chamber was a figure, whose body was severely thin and emaciated. His face was pale and ill, his ribs showed clearly through his chest. His eyes were barely open, and his thin arms and legs were chained against the wall. Blaze felt tears slowly forming in her eyes as she realised who the man inside the glass chamber was. After such a long time apart, her fears were confirmed. It was Silver.

But before she could say a word, she heard a deep and sinister laughter fill the air around her.

"I was expecting you to be here before long..."

Blaze quickly turned around and gasped at the figure that was standing in front of her. It was twice her size, and the figure was a tall, lean and armoured figure. The armour was primarily made of steel and leather, with seemed to be bolted onto the figure. The figure also had a long red cape that was attached to the fronts of his shoulders. The figure had no face; instead it had a sinister mask in the shape of a horse's skull that completely covered its face. It was expressionless.

"...You're Caelus...aren't you?" Blaze said quietly, her hand on the hilt of her blade, ready to fight. She was unsure of how to react to the expressionless Caelus. There was a small silence before he started to talk.

"And you must be the one who has been meddling with my plans all this time...Blaze, isn't it?" he asked. Blaze remained still, unsure of how to react. She could feel an aura of cold energy emanating from the man.

"So I take it you defeated Marcelino" Caelus started.

"If you think that Marcelino was supposed to stop us, you're in for a big surprise" Blaze retorted. Marcelino let out a small chuckle, his arms crossing.

"And if you believe that Marcelino was supposed to be a challenge, then I believe it is **you **who are in for the surprise, my little girl..." he said. "I hadn't realised until recently how pathetic a man he was. He was merely excess rubbish that has been ridden of, and I owe it all to you!"

"What are you doing here?" Blaze said with spite. "The floating castle, the Hestia Blade, this 'Caelus Guard' of yours...what does it all mean!"

There was another moment of silence. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and the air felt heavy and suffocating within Caelus's presence.

"Only a fool would believe that he could control the world with two hands" Caelus explained. "In order to rule the world, one must ally himself with strong people. That is to say, people with strong capabilities. In no way was Marcelino a strong man himself. It was what he controlled that was powerful"

"What do you mean?" Blaze shouted.

"Money" Caelus answered. "Soldiers. Resources. With my magical might and his supplies, I knew that I could make my ambitions true with him by my side. I fooled him into visions of world domination and power. We turned the Zephyr Ruins into this castle you see today, and we created a very powerful weapon, aided by the recent addition of the Hestia Blade. Yet Marcelino himself was a weak man, who would do anything I say. I am glad that he, and his men, are all ridden of. Now I can finish what I started and encase the world in ice, killing all living life forms that inhabit its surface before turning it into a truly magnificent kingdom fitting for a man like myself..."

"I'll never let you rule!" Blaze shouted. Caelus uncrossed his arms, standing straight, growing in size. Blaze couldn't help but feel intimidated by him.

"...The countdown is almost over" Caelus said. His voice boomed and resonated through the large room, causing shivers to go down Blaze's spine as he talked. "And when it is over...the world shall be mine"

"What are you going to do?" Blaze yelled. "I've had enough of this! What the hell is this countdown counting down to? How will you control the world?" she shouted. "I want answers!"

Unmoving, Caelus released a slow, heavy laugh. Blaze watched as his chest remained still, with no signs of breathing or life. She couldn't understand the nature of the man stood in front of him.

"Defiance is a variable trait" Caelus said. "Sometimes, it serves its purpose well. But in other cases, it is mere drivel. Dare you defy me, young girl?"

Blaze yelled and ran right towards Caelus, unsheathing her sword, hoping to kill the man right there and then. But as she ran, Caelus suddenly disappeared, causing Blaze to fall down the staircase. She rolled down every stone step, hurting herself as she descended, before landing roughly on the see through flooring below. Slowly getting up, she turned to see Caelus with his back turned to her. She could only see his red cape and the straps that fastened the horse skull his head; the straps completely covering any signs of flesh.

"Pitiful fool..." he said quietly. "Did you really think that you could win? That you could rescue Silver and foil my plans? Do you even know who you're dealing with?" he shouted, his voice raising as he spoke.

"...What are you?" Blaze uttered. "...Where did you come from?"

Another sinister laugh escaped from Caelus.

"Now that the Hestia Blade is within my possession, the ice cannon is at optimal strength" Caelus explained, his back still turned to Blaze. "With one shot, I can freeze a quarter of the planet's face. The Elemental Tomes are certainly tools of great power...and I do believe that there are more in our presence"

Blaze looked down at the small sack tied to her waist. She could feel the Sol Emeralds starting to resonate. They were almost at their full strength. All she had to do was wait a little longer and she could fight at full strength and put away Caelus once and for all.

"I can beat you..." Blaze said quietly. "I am a descendant of Sol! With the Sol Emeralds, I'll reduce you to ashes!"

"...The Sol Emeralds..." Caelus said quietly. "...I am unafraid of your Sol Emeralds. I am a master of the water element. Within this chamber, I can conjure fierce attacks of ice, unlike anything you have ever seen. Even with the Sol Emeralds, I am confident in my abilities to best you. But to think if I were in possession of those gems...the power this castle can gain, the pure, undaunted destruction I could create...what a shame if you were to lose in battle, and surrender the Sol Emeralds to me in defeat..."

Blaze clenched her grip on her rapier.

"I will not lose..." she said quietly. "...For all the destruction you've caused with this castle...you'll pay!"

Blaze watched as Caelus's head moved slightly.

"Strong words" he said quietly. "But nothing more" He then raised his right hand, clenching his fist. "Could you, a young girl, muster the strength to match mine?" His hand then started to glow a dark blue as he grunted, a powerful surge of cold energy forming in his hand. He then lowered his hand, before turning around, wiping his cape out of his way, revealing his body once more.

"These toys are too much for you" he said. He then stepped forward, raising a clenched fist. "I command you to give them to me!"

Blaze suddenly felt a sudden surge of energy overwhelm her as Caelus started to yell, summoning his power. She did not expect such extreme cold power to be coming from the man's outstretched hand. Blaze felt her fire powers diminish rapidly as frost gathered on her face.

But suddenly, the Sol Emeralds burst out of their sack and quickly formed into a special rapier, the same one that Blaze used to defeat Gustav. Blaze quickly dropped her father's rapier and clutched the new, rainbow colour blade, feeling the heat waves surge through her body, dispelling the wave of ice that was overpowering her before. She stood there, strong and ready to fight. Caelus lowered his hand and leapt into the air as he let out a bellowing laugh. Blaze knew that the final fight was about to begin.

**Extra marks for anyone who saw the little Ocarina of Time reference there.**


	48. The Master of the Water Element

Chapter 48: The Master of the Water Element

Seconds after Caelus had lifted into the air; he raised his hand and started to yell. Blaze watched as blue fog converged beneath him. Suddenly, a large ice horse formed beneath Caelus. A swirling blue vortex appeared behind Caelus as he slowly vanished behind it, laughing.

Blaze looked around as the ominous laughter continued. Suddenly, six portals appeared from the air in a hexagon formation. Blaze saw the small figure of Caelus in the portal, growing bigger and bigger as he rode towards the mouth of the portal. The corner of her eye spotted exactly the same thing happening with the other portals. She looked around, before focusing on one of the portals.

There was a whooshing noise as Caelus reached the mouth of the portal, but Blaze watched in confusion as he turned around and rode back. There was a yell, and she quickly swerved to see that all but one of the Caelus figures was retreating. The one that didn't shot out of the portal, high into the air. Caelus shot a powerful ice blast to the floor. Blaze quickly jumped away as a large portion of the floor was soundly frozen, before Caelus swooped back into one of the portals.

The six Caelus figures appeared once again in the portals. Blaze spun around, keeping her eye on every portal. At the same time, she charged up fire energy in her sword, ready to unleash. As she saw the Caelus figures turn around, she quickly faced the one that was about to exit the portal. She yelled and unleashed a fire shot right towards Caelus, shattering his horse. Caelus grunted and stayed afloat in the air as the portals vanished. Caelus then charged an ice ball in his hand before throwing it down at Blaze. Blaze quickly slashed at it, sending it bounding back towards Caelus, colliding with him. Caelus yelled in pain as the ice ball struck him, causing him to fall to the ground. Blaze jumped towards Caelus and slashed him twice, each slash causing Caelus to yell, before he quickly jumped into the air and shook himself down.

Caelus threw his hand into the air, moving it about in a sweeping motion. A foggy material emitted from Caelus's hand, forming into a thicker of ice above his head. The blanket of ice grew rapidly, stretching over Blaze's head and covering the majority of the roof. As he stopped, Caelus started to charge energy in his fist. He let out a yell and shot towards the ground, striking the floor with his energized fist. Blaze gasped and jumped over the great icy shockwave that emitted from Caelus's hand. But as Caelus struck the floor, the ice blanket shattered, sending boulders of ice falling to the floor. Blaze quickly looked up and was struck by one of the boulders, flooring her. There was a sharp stabbing pain in her chest as she was struck by one of the falling ice boulders. Slowly getting back up, she could hear Caelus laughing heartily, floating in the air again.

Seven portals appeared from the ground around Blaze. Caelus slowly sunk into one of them, still laughing. Blaze, clutching the Sol Emerald blade tightly, looked around, getting ready to strike at one of the portals. Suddenly, Caelus appeared from one of them, about to throw an ice beam at Blaze. Blaze quickly caught him and slashed him, causing him to yell. The portals vanished as Caelus fell to his knees. Blaze slashed him again, making him recoil. Caelus then created an ice barrier, jumping back into the air as Blaze shattered it with her blade. Shaking himself down once again, he moved back.

Caelus started to grunt in concentration, curling up into a ball in midair. Blaze watched as Caelus's groans started to turn louder, as if he was in pain. He hunched up into more of a ball as he yelled. Suddenly, he threw his body out, masses and masses of water flowing right out of him. His body seemed to dissipate as the entire room filled with water, right up to Blaze's waist. The water was a dark blue liquid and was unnaturally cold as well.

Blaze looked around as Caelus's laugh rang through the room. As she walked, looking very carefully for any signs of the man, she didn't notice the large water tentacle that was rising behind her.

Swiftly, it grabbed her, its shiny, gooey material wrapping around Blaze's waist and lifting her right into the air. Blaze yelled, her arm too tightly wrapped to control her sword. The tentacle's grip tightened, crushing Blaze within it's grasp. It then swung Blaze violently in the air, the grip crushing her lungs, before throwing her savagely to the floor. Blaze splashed back into the water, frantically getting to her feet. She watched as the tentacle retreated back into the water, becoming one with the pool again.

Blaze held her stomach, gasping for air after the crushing grip that she was placed in. She could hear something converging behind her and quickly swung around, striking a converging tentacle with her blade. The tentacle swung back from being struck, with Caelus's audible yell coming from the tentacle. Blaze then charged a high amount of fiery energy in her sword before she unleashed it on the tentacle, evaporating it. The entire pool was suddenly drawn to where the tentacle once stood, reforming into Caelus again. Blaze was caught by the moving water, feeling a hand form around her neck. Caelus fully re-emerged from the water, holding Blaze by her neck, once more trying to squeeze the life out of her. But Blaze had control of her arm and slashed at Caelus, causing him to let go of Blaze. Blaze fell to the floor and delivered another slash to Caelus, who yelled in pain before jumping back into the air.

Blaze watched as Caelus threw his arms into the air. To either side of him, shards of ice were converging at a blistering pace. They turned into floating ice boulders, before more ice shards attached to them, forming them into the shape of two large ice hands. As the hands finished forming, Caelus slowly vanished into thin air. The hands then lowered and the left hand turned into a fist, shooting right towards Blaze. Blaze quickly ducked and avoided the fist. But as she got up, she was struck from behind by the same hand that was moving back to where it stood before. Blaze was sent flinging through the air, landing harshly on the floor once more. She quickly got up to see the other hand coming to grab her. Quickly, she slashed at the ice hand, striking away chunks of ice with the flames of her blade. The hand seemed to recoil from being struck. Blaze kept striking it until it shattered into pieces on the floor.

Suddenly, Blaze felt a tight grip cast around her, instantly followed by an icy cool feel. She realised that she had been grabbed by one of the hand and was slowly being crushed within its large palms. She closed her eyes and tried to block the pain from her mind, concentrating as much energy as she could. As she felt the energy from her blade enter and course through her body, she yelled as she felt unable to contain herself. There was a massive burst of energy that shattered the ice hand, freeing Blaze as she fell cleanly onto her feet.

At that moment, she heard a yell from behind her and turned, only to be struck by a long pole of ice. Blaze yelled as the sharp shards of the ice cut into her skin as it shattered. She saw Caelus standing in front of her, gripping the broken ice stick. He then charged an ice ball in his hand and threw it, but Blaze quickly turned around and slashed it back at Caelus. Caelus yelled in pain as the ice ball struck him, shattering on his body. He fell down on one knee.

Blaze stepped up to Caelus and slashed at him, making him recoil from the strikes. After a couple of strikes, Caelus quickly shot back into the air and shook himself down once more. The extent of the damage was starting to become rather evident on Caelus, especially in the tears that showed on his cape. Caelus threw his arms into the air, creating a blue ball of energy. Blaze watched as a high pitched noise emanated from the ball, seemingly becoming more and more concentrated. Suddenly, a beam shot right out of the ball of energy. Acting on impulse, Blaze put her blade in front of her. The beam collided with the sword, a large mass of steam coming as a result. But the energy seeped into the blade, causing it to flash in a variety of blue colours. Blaze felt the huge amount of energy that was built up in the blade, a mixture of fire and water together.

Suddenly, a red and blue beam fired right back out of the sword, striking Caelus as he floated. Blaze couldn't see anything from the brilliant flash of light that accompanied the release, but she could hear Caelus's shrill scream. As the beam dissipated, Blaze saw that Caelus was on his knees once more. Blaze decided it was time to finish the fight.

Running towards Caelus, Blaze brought her blade up into the air, ready to deal the finishing blow. As she got into range, she threw he sword down, cutting right across Caelus's chest. Caelus yelled in pain, his arms flailing, before he fell onto the floor, barely able to keep himself up. Blaze took a few steps back and watched as Caelus struggled on the floor, his wheezing loud and laboured. She felt relief swoop through her as she realised that Caelus was defeated.


	49. Caelus's True Identity

Chapter 49: Caelus's True Identity

The Sol Emeralds returned to their original form and swooped back into Blaze's little bag. Blaze looked at her dented armour and damaged skin and tissue, breathing heavily in order to try and fend off the pain. She ached and groaned, but she felt glad to see Caelus on his knees in front of her, defeated.

"...I...the great Caelus...beaten by this girl...?" he mused quietly.

"It's over" Blaze interrupted. "I want answers. About why you kidnapped Silver, this whole alliance with Marcelino, this floating castle, the Hestia Blade, everything!" she ordered. She watched as Caelus continued to wheeze on the floor.

"...I believe I have no choice..." he said quietly. "...There is no such thing as Caelus..."

Blaze's eyes opened widely in surprise upon the revelation.

"What...what do you mean?" she asked.

"Caelus...that name has no meaning...expect to hide my real identity..." the figure said. Blaze felt her heartbeat increasing; she suddenly felt as if she knew who was knelt in front of her.

"...You...who are you!" she yelled. Then, amongst his wheezes, he uttered a laugh.

"...I'm...surprised you...don't remember...after all, it's only been three years, Blaze..."

An image came to Blaze's mind at once. The only figure that could possibly be behind the horse skull mask was...

"...Gustav!" she said in complete shock. The figure let out another laugh.

"No, Blaze..." he said. "...I am not Gustav. I am...the ultimate deity of water...I am Galvaria" the figure revealed.

It couldn't be true. Blaze felt her heart almost stopping as the figure revealed its true identity. So many questions came to her head at that moment; she was unsure of what to ask.

"...What?" Blaze uttered. It was all that she could utter.

"...Many centuries ago...I was sealed within the Hestia Blade after I was defeated by Volstead and the Sol Emeralds. I waited patiently for such a long time, waiting for the day when someone would draw the Hestia Blade and allow my spirit to seep from the sword and corrupt their entire body and mind. The man who came to draw the sword was your granduncle, Gustav" Galvaria explained. "I managed to corrupt his soul, and over time, using him as my puppet of sorts, I ascended to become the king of the world"

"Then why didn't you destroy everything, like you intended to do so long ago?" Blaze shouted.

"It was because of you" Galvaria revealed. "I could see as soon as I saw you that you were a descendant of Sol, a potential wielder of the Sol Emeralds...a potential threat. Therefore, I created a façade and tried to raise you in a world where the Sol Emeralds didn't exist. I hoped to banish your lineage by eradicating the existence of the Sol Emeralds from your mind. But you grew wary, and thanks to **him** back there..." he said, pointing to the incarcerated Silver. "...you realised your 'destiny'. By collecting the Sol Emeralds, you defeated me three years ago..."

"So what happened?" Blaze asked. "How are you still here?"

"...When I was defeated, the force of the blast separated my spirit from the Hestia Blade. Ever since that day, I pitifully wandered the plains in this weak form that you see now, trying to find the Hestia Blade. And I did find it...in Laleh" Galvaria revealed. "I noticed the turmoil that was taking place at Laleh's throne, and I decided to put my new plan into action. By aligning myself with Marcelino, using my powers, we turned the Zephyr Ruins into this floating castle over the course of three years. Marcelino then took orders from me. I was the man pulling all the strings, and the Hestia Blade has been brought back to me as a result, sealed within that core..." he said, pointing to the reactor beside them.

"So why..." Blaze said quietly. "...Why did you kidnap Silver! And what does this countdown mean?" she yelled.

"...Blaze...descendant of Sol..." Galvaria said quietly. "Ever since we crossed paths sixteen years ago...since you were a baby, I have always intended to destroy you. I let frivolity and elaboration get in my way all those years ago. It is because of these faults that you are still alive right now...I captured Silver because I knew it would draw you to me, and I captured him because he is the real reason why I have come this far..." he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blaze spat.

"This whole castle...and this ice cannon...I didn't care for it. It was all Marcelino's little plaything to me, this castle. I may have built it, but it is merely another part of my façade as Caelus. My true intentions lay within Silver and the countdown...for when the countdown finished, Silver's soul will have been fully drained, and I would have been able to use his body as a vessel. I would walk this planet again, and I would not make the same mistakes as I have done before..."

"So that's why you took him..." Blaze uttered quietly. "Not only to draw me in and try to kill me, but also to use him as a vessel for your dirty deeds! Well, I'm afraid none of that is going to be happening anymore. It's time for this whole scheme of yours, and this damned castle, to crash right into the ground and burn!" she shouted. Just then, Blaze noticed something moving behind her. She turned to see Stamatis running towards her.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at the defeated Galvaria.

"It's all over, Stamatis..." Blaze said, her voice laden with relief. "Finally, things can go back to the way they were..."

The sound of a bell ringing emanated through the room. Blaze's eyes glazed upon hearing the bells.

"Those bells..." she said quietly. "...That's coming from the Zanskar City clock tower! Has this castle really travelled so far in such a short time?"

"Listen...it rung six times" Stamatis noted. "It's six in the morning"

"Yes..."

The two turned towards Galvaria, who was now looking up at the two.

"...The countdown...is over" he said quietly. The entire room was deathly silent. Blaze's eyes moved from Galvaria to the trapped Silver, who remained unmoving. She then looked back at Galvaria.

"You haven't...won yet" Galvaria continued, still wheezing, holding his chest. "I've stalled you long enough...and now...the countdown is finished. I swear...even if I must use...the last of my energy...I will destroy you!" Galvaria then coughed up a blue liquid, before reaching his hand out. "Blaze...!"

Galvaria started to let out a sickening yell as he slowly stood up. He raised his arms into the air as electric bolts suddenly started to flash all around his body. It then turned into a flashing white light. The entire room started to quake from the power that seemed to be surging from Galvaria. Blaze watched as the reactor started to flail wildly before suddenly exploding, causing the entire castle to tilt slightly. Alarm bells rung amongst every room, including the reactor room.

"What in the hell is happening!" Stamatis yelled amongst the flurry of havoc.

There was a loud explosion which made both Blaze and Stamatis jump a mile. They turned and saw that Galvaria's armour had been shattered, and an ominous, ghostly figure was floating above it, ten times its original size. Blaze could only clearly make out the eyes of Galvaria, which leered at her in anger. Then, to her horror, it quickly rushed towards Silver, penetrating the glass and seeping into his body.

"Silver!" Blaze screamed, running for Silver, who was suddenly awakened and struggling in pain. Stamatis chased after her, but a tremor caused the glass beneath them to suddenly shatter. Blaze felt herself falling through the floor and down the large conical shape of the cannon's interior. She struck against the edge, almost knocking herself out before sliding down the cannon tube towards the end. She felt faint as she saw the end of the tunnel and seeming the outside world from it. This was it, she thought. With nothing to break her fall but the castle of Zanskar itself, she knew that at that moment, she and Stamatis would meet an untimely death.


	50. Silver

Chapter 50: Silver

She felt the wind suddenly rush around her as she fell out of the cannon nozzle and into the open air. Within a few seconds, she thought, it would all be over. She didn't even have time to think about anything else. No time for family, or friends...or Silver. This was it, a few seconds of freefalling, a possible extra few seconds of excruciating pain, and then that would be it.

She felt a hand grab onto her wrist. She looked quickly through the blurring atmosphere around her and saw Stamatis, looking down towards the ground. Perhaps he wanted to die with her, and in their final moments, at least give each other a show of friendship?

As if she was an angel shot down by an arrow, she felt her body strike against a hard metal surface. The downwards motion in which she was moving was suddenly twisted around to a shooting sideways motion. She thought she had already landed on the ground, and was surprisingly unhurt. As she opened her eyes in shock, she could still see Stamatis hovering over her. She then looked to her side and received an even bigger shock. She saw Milos, sat beside her, looking out to the skies. Just where on earth was she?

She felt Stamatis haul her up to a sitting position, before holding on to her to secure her from falling. Even Stamatis seemed to have a shocked look on his face. It was when Blaze looked at what she was actually sitting on was what gave her the biggest shock.

She was sat aboard a large metal eagle shaped machine that seemed to be flying through the night sky like a shooting star. Its wings were large and gracefully crafted, and even though the colour of it was a dank, dull grey, as the realisation dawned on Blaze and Stamatis, it made the machine look all the more beautiful. It was Milos's flying machine.

Stamatis exploded into a fit of joyful laughter as he realised not only his life was saved, but his best friend had achieved his dream at the same time. He tapped his shoulder enthusiastically.

"I can't believe it, man!" he shouted through the noise. "You finally did it!"

Blaze wanted to join in on the celebration, but her eyes were fixed on the castle. It was hanging over Zanskar Castle, different sections of the castle exploding and cracking. The whole castle started to tip slowly as it begun to descend on a destruction course with Zanskar Castle. There were loud screeches of shattering metal as the floating castle started to fall. She looked down to see tiny figures of people evacuating the city, which brought slight relief to her mind. Her head turned back to the floating castle.

Smoke billowed from the many turrets of the castle. Her heart was beating in horror as she knew that Silver was inside the falling castle. The image of Galvaria rushing towards Silver and going inside him, into his body and mind, caused her almost to weep in grief. She watched as the castle slowly fell, different explosions billowing out flames and smoke, almost enshrouding the castle.

And just like that, with a thunderous crash, the castles collided. The spire tore right throuhg the ceiling of Zanskar Castle, breaking into it like a knife through butter. The floating castle toppled as it broke through the walls of the grounded castle. Turrets collapsed, walls fell down and the floating castle continued to sink into the large pillars of black smoke and searing red fire. Sections of the floating castle fell off as the whole thing turned towards its side during the descent. The entire area below was engulfed in smoke, and the only signs of destruction were the flashes of fire that lit through the thick blanket of smog. Blaze looked on in horror at the destruction that was taking place in front of her. Both Stamatis and Milos also grew rather quiet at the sight as they circled in the air above, their little gasps of shock blotted out by the tremedous sounds of destruction.

Milos could feel the engine of the flying machine was growing weaker. Slowly, he angulated the descent of the ship so it landed neatly at the edge of the ruins of the castle. As it landed, Blaze watched at the whole population of Zanskar Castle stood a few hundred metres back in a long line, looking at the destroyed castle which was once their home. Blaze could feel the devastation emanating from the group as the flying machine grinded to a halt on the floor. Stepping off, she looked at her friends, before turning to the destruction behind her.

The floating castle had destroyed everything. Not even the outer walls of the city survived the collision. Everything was floored in a large flat pile of rubble, with smoke billowing from every possible hole. The skeletal ruins of the floating castle intertwined with the broken foundations of Zanskar Castle, and the remains of the floating castle's ice cannon stood at the back of it all, its skeletal, wrecked barrel pointing towards the sky, set behind the newly rising sun.

"...It's all gone..." Blaze said quietly, looking blankly at the ruins in disbelief. "Everything's been destroyed..."

"But...is it over?" Stamatis said quietly. Blaze looked at Stamatis with a pained expression on her face.

"Stamatis...Milos..." she said quietly. "I'm sorry I put you in such danger...I only wish I..."

Before she could finish, there was a heavy tremor accompanied by the loud sound of shifting stones coming from the ruins. Blaze gasped in fright and looked at the ruins. A couple of stones from the ruins shifted and succumbed to gravity, before stillness affected the area again. Blaze suddenly remembered that Silver was somewhere in the ruins. Her feet set off faster than ever before, jumping right into the rocky rubble and ruin of the castle. Still energized by the Sol Emeralds, she tore away broken girders and started throwing stones and rubble away in a desperate search to find him.

"Silver?" Blaze called out in a panic. "Silver? Silver! Silver, please answer me!"

She searched for a matter of minutes through the burning ruins, until she walked into a strange, flat clearing, with only a few large pieces of rubble lying or jutting from the floor. She realised that the floor she was walking on was the floor of the Zanskar throne room, where her father would have been sitting before the castle was destroyed. The carpet was ruined, but the floor was strangely placed perfectly on a horizontal angle, with no tilt at all. It was like standing on a rubble covered square platform, with many of the pillars destroyed at the edges of the platform.

"Silver!" Blaze shouted. "Where are you...?"

She sighed, feeling tears coming to her eyes. It was hopeless; how was she going to find Silver in this rubble? She started to consider the fact that he may have died in the crash. The thought of it was killing her resolve to find him. She collaped to her knees, giving in to her fatigue and emotion.

Stamatis and Milos made their way through the rubble and stood at the edge of the platform.

"Blaze, are you okay?" Stamatis asked. Blaze looked up at them, trying to hold back her tears. She shook her head slowly. Stamatis realised the bad news and put his head down, placing a hand on Milos's shoulder, bringing the two close together. Blaze started to walk back towards the two, her soul utterly crushed. He was nowhere to be found. Blaze had realsed that Silver couldn't have survived the crash in his weak state. He may very well have been killed, gone forever, never to return to Blaze's arms. She was a broken woman.

A great wall of cold blue fire suddenly rose up from the floor, separating Blaze from Stamatis and Milos. She gasped and watched as the fire wall went around in a complete circle around the platform. The tremors suddenly returned, as if something were thumping beneath the ground. She turned around and looked at the large pile of rubble that sat at the center of the fire surrounded circle.

There was a yell, and the large slabs of debris were effortlessly thrown aside into the air, almost like an explosion. Blaze watched as a small figure shot out of the ground with the debris, seemingly casting it off with little effort. The figure was one that Blaze thought she would never see again. It was Silver.

But Blaze did not rejoice. Instead, she looked on in horror at what Silver had become. His presence seemed to blot out the light of the sunrise, turning the sky into a powerful dark grey. Storms started to emerge at his presence. His body was a silhouette except for his eyes, which gleamed a light blue. His irises were nonexistent. But what was the worst was the blade he held in his hand. The Hestia Blade.

As Silver hung in the air, his eyes giving an evil stare, he gasped and wheezed. But the sounds of his wheezing were almost identical to Galvaria's. He brought out the Hestia Blade for Blaze to see, before it started to glow. The blade then melted into Silver's hand, somewhat fusing with him. Blaze was speechless at what was happening. Had Silver truly been possessed?

Then, Silver started to yell, hunching up into a ball. His skin started to flash a bright blue as he yelled. He threw his body out as a barrage of electrical bolts shot out from Silver. Blaze watched in complete and utter horror and disbelief as Silver started to change shape. His overall size grew twenty times bigger; his face turned into one of a twisted wolf's, his hair grew long, dark and ragged. His eyes remained a light blue possessed flash, whilst the muscles on his body became a lot larger, also being covered in masses of fur. His hands turned into large twisted claws, and the same happened with his feet. A large, spiked tail grew out of his body.

Falling to the ground, the monster landed with a loud thud, slowly unravelling itself after landing. Two great ice swords formed in the monster's hands, before it started to wave them about, roaring a deafening screech. Blaze felt her heart beating at an incredible place, the mixture of anguish and horror wearing down her soul as she stood in front of the beast.

"It appears that Galvaria has finally broken free and stands once again in his true form..." a voice said from behind Blaze. Blaze turned around and saw Sol floating behind her, looking at Galvaria. "This is it. The final battle. If we can't stop Galvaria now, then nobody can. He will plunge this world into ice once more, and this time, there will be nothing to melt it. Go, Blaze! Fulfil your destiny, and defeat Galvaria like your ancestor Volstead did many years ago!" Sol roused. Blaze turned around and closed her eyes. She knew that Silver was inside the beast that confronted her somehow. But she also knew that she was the world's last hope. Opening her eyes, her spirit filled with determination, she watched as the Sol Emeralds turned into her special rapier, before she clutched the hilt of the blade and ran towards Galvaria, ready to fight one last time.

**I'm off on another holiday (brought about by my parents) for two weeks, so be prepared for the finale upon my return! Let me know what you think, holla holla!**


	51. The Final Battle

**I have returned from my holidays! I also noticed in recent reviews that people have clicked with the Ocarina of Time references, which I'm glad. So to the last few chapters off, this chapter will be one more homage to the brilliant game, before the finale! Enjoy!**

Chapter 51: The Final Battle

As soon as they clashed swords, Blaze could feel the extreme power of the two elements mixed together. The brilliant flash of light that shot out from the impact of the rapier and the great ice sword added to the powerful effect of the crossing elements. Blaze quickly jumped back and ducked beneath a large sword swing, knowing that even one strike with one of Galvaria's swords would certainly smash ever bone in her body.

The fire energy from her blade was surging all through her body. She channelled the energy into her blade and let out a large gust of flame from the sword's tip that seemingly didn't affect Galvaria a bit. Galvaria swung his sword again, just missing Blaze by an inch, before slamming his other sword to the ground, causing a large plume of ice to rise from the ground. Blaze quickly jumped up onto the plume, propelling herself up with a fire burst, before jumping off and attempting to slash Galvaria's head. She missed and landed on the floor, rolling away from another of Galvaria's slashes. Getting up, she ran towards Galvaria, ducking yet another slash, before preparing to stab Galvaria in his thigh.

But as she attempted to sink the rapier into the beast's leg, she felt as if she were trying to stab a stone. The blade barely scratched Galvaria, who suddenly grabbed Blaze with his hand, sandwiching her between his grasp and the cold ice of the ice sword's hilt.

Blaze could feel the rough fur and the tough flesh of Galvaria's grip crushing her against the ice blade in an all too familiar feeling. She realised that he wasn't trying to crush her to death, but watched as Galvaria brought her near his mouth. Blaze could smell the rancid breath blowing against her like a gust, with an unnatural coldness. But she saw Galvaria opening his mouth wide, before a piercing blue light shone from within. She felt a large wave of coldness radiate from the mouth and knew that she was going to be in a lot of trouble if she couldn't escape.

Quickly, she charged a lot of fire energy within her. As Galvaria's mouth beam was just about ready to fire, Blaze released the gush of energy, the great flash of heat forcing Galvaria to loosen his grip enough for Blaze to drop out of his hand. As soon as she did, he released his mouth beam, causing a large stream of freezing cold energy to shoot right out of his mouth and into the sky like a shooting star.

Blaze dropped on the ground and lunged at Galvaria, her sword ready to strike. Galvaria brought his blades into the air and clashed them against Blaze's rapier, pushing against it. The two found themselves in a test of strength, trying to outdo the other. Blaze started to release as much fire energy from her as she could, powering her push. Galvaria was forced back slightly, but his body started to glow blue, radiating a freezing cold wind. Galvaria's strength almost doubled as he started to push back against Blaze. Yelling, Blaze put as much energy as she possibly could into her push, but she wasn't able to topple Galvaria for the fact that he was just that much bigger than her.

Blaze found herself pushed away suddenly by Galvaria. She lost her footing and watched as Galvaria swung his giant ice sword, striking Blaze with the flat of it. The strike sent Blaze flying right towards one of the broken pillars. As she struck against it, her head knocked against the marble, causing a stunningly sharp pain to run through her head and down her body. She fell to the floor, clutching her head, looking up in pain as she tried to suppress it. She saw Galvaria slowly walking towards her, raising his sword again for another swing. As he swung, Blaze summoned the strength inside her to roll out of the way. Galvaria's sword crashed through the pillar, shattering it into many pieces. He suddenly swung around and slammed his sword against the floor, just missing Blaze by an inch. Blaze struggled to her feet and ducked another swing, before sneaking in close and stabbing Galvaria in the stomach.

But to no avail. Instead, the tip of the rapier struck against the rock hard chest of Galvaria before slipping off the edge. Blaze quickly wriggled her way out of the close grasp of the monster, before taking a few steps back. She was at a loss on what to do; even with the extreme power of heat in her blade, she couldn't pierce Galvaria's flesh. As Galvaria was closing in on her, she could hear a faint yelling from behind her.

"Hit his tail!" it screamed. "Hit his tail!"

Blaze recognized the voice to be Stamatis's, and looked carefully for Galvaria's tail. She saw it, moving about naturally behind Galvaria. She took a deep breath and started to run.

As Galvaria went for a swing, Blaze shot herself right up into the air and above Galvaria. Landing behind him, she turned around and saw the tail, with its spiked end and somewhat soft looking flesh. Gathering all her strength, she yelled and brought her sword down on the tail.

Her sword struck against the tail, cutting it slightly. But the slash seemed to affect Galvaria a lot, who started to thrash around in pain. Blaze quickly retreated away from the flailing Galvaria, who turned around. She realised that his tail was out of sight when Galvaria was facing her.

Galvaria crossed his swords in the air and charged a high amount of ice energy. Blaze could feel the rain start to fall heavily on her as energy charged in the twin ice blades. Galvaria sunk the two swords into the ground, causing ice pillars to shoot up from the ground around him. One of the ice pillars formed beneath Blaze, firing her right up into the air. Caught by surprise, Blaze couldn't react as she was struck by the flat of the ice blade as she came tumbling down.

Crashing against the floor, Blaze felt little pain, being masked be the energy of her flames. She quickly got up to her feet and started to run towards Galvaria, who was preparing to strike Blaze with his sword. But before he could swing, Blaze sped through with a fire burst and shot between his legs, ending up next to his tail. With a mighty slash, she struck the tail once again, cutting it and causing blue blood to seep out of it. Galvaria thrashed about once more from being struck, clearly in a lot of pain from the strike.

Blaze watched as Galvaria turned to her, his mouth open. Swiftly, a blue beam shot out of Galvaria's mouth, firing right towards Blaze. Blaze placed her rapier in front of the beam, throwing as much energy as she could into the blade to stop the beam. She managed to hold off the beam for a few seconds, but suddenly felt her power diminish. She was encased in a giant plume of ice, trapped within still gripped her sword. She could see that Galvaria was preparing to shatter the ice with his blade, potentially causing sever damage to Blaze. Blaze noticed this and focused all her energy once more. She felt the ice melt away from her skin, giving her enough space to unleash her power.

She exploded in a ball of flames that shattered the giant ice plume. Dropping, she just missed the sharp edge of Galvaria's sword that shot through the air and shattered ice. Landing on the floor, she watched as Galvaria went to slash at her with his other arm. She blocked it with her rapier, the colliding elements once more causing a brilliant flash of light. They struck swords with each other a couple of times, before Blaze slashed back at one of the blades, shattering it into pieces.

Standing back, Galvaria created a wall of ice as another blade formed in his free hand. Bringing it down, he shattered the ice shield as the sword plunged into the ground once more. Acting on whim, Blaze suddenly activated another fire burst, propelling herself onto the sword. She ran as fast as she could up Galvaria's arm, before jumping and delivering a kick to Galvaria's eye. Galvaria flinched and brought a hand to his hurt eye as Blaze continued to fly through the air. Falling, she saw she was about to land on Galvaria's tail and managed to clutch onto the fur.

Galvaria noticed this at once and started to flail wildly. Instantly, Blaze found herself battling to stay onto the tail, her legs swaying around like weak branches in a hurricane. Her hand was firmly gripped onto the rough fur at the base of the tail. She looked back to see the shining section of the end of the tail and tried to slash at it with her sword. Each attempt failed, missing the tail, and she realised that her grip was slipping. Blaze knew there was only one way she could do this. She had to let go and chance it.

Taking a deep breath, she let go of the fur, the momentum of Galvaria's swinging throwing her right off of him. But as she let go, she gathered her strength and went for one slash at Galvaria's tail. She watched as her fiery blade swung right towards the tail in a huge blurry mess.

She watched in surprise as her sword cut through Galvaria's tail like butter. As the tip fell off, it started to bleed rapidly. Galvaria emitted a thunderous roar and swung around suddenly, almost beheading Blaze with the edge of his sword. Galvaria slammed his sword against the ground, causing a quake that shook Blaze off her feet. She watched as Galvaria was about to crush her beneath his foot, and quickly rolled out of the way he stamped down. The thud shook the ground so hard it threw Blaze right up onto her feet again. Galvaria was still thrashing around in pain, trying to grab his tail in order to tend to it. But his thrashing ceased slightly as he raised his swords into the air.

A large blue ball started to form in the air. The entire arena started to become covered in a frost as the blue energy ball grew bigger and bigger. Blaze knew what was coming.

Suddenly, Galvaria threw the ball right towards Blaze. Blaze brought her blade out and surged her whole energy reserves into the sword, which suddenly steamed with heat. The ball collided with her sword as she felt an immense strain shoot through her body. It felt as if she had the weight of the world pressing down on her arms. She couldn't even see Galvaria for the size of the energy ball. She could also feel the immense power emanating from the ball. She knew that if she let her energy fade, the ball would surely destroy her entirely.

She yelled, trying to search every corner of her body for the strength that she desperately needed. It felt strange when she felt more energy entering her body. Looking back, she saw Sol floating behind her, a faint red light trailing from her body into Blaze's hands. She felt the strain of the energy fade slightly, and her strength increase.

With one more yell and a final push, she managed to throw the energy ball away from her. Little did she know, the energy ball came bounding right back at Galvaria, striking him. There was a huge explosion of white and blue as the ball made contact with Galvaria. He screamed in a monstrous yell as the ball exploded. The smoke cleared quickly, showing Galvaria struggling to get to his feet, electric bolts trailing all around his body, cold steam emanating from his hard body. There were also cuts and bruises visible on Galvaria's flesh. Blaze saw her chance.

She ran up to the vulnerable Galvaria and started to deliver a series of slashes to his abdomen, each one cutting into his flesh. Each slash caused Galvaria to roar louder and louder, until she stabbed Galvaria in his stomach once more, this time digging right up to the hilt of Blaze's blade. She surged fire energy through her blade, which in turn flushed into Galvaria's abdomen.

Galvaria stood back and roared, clenching his gut. He dropped one of his hulking ice swords, before collapsing on his stomach. It's roaring became quieter and quieter, until they were just mere grunts, near silent. Blaze almost let herself drop to her knees as she saw the great beast finally felled. She was about to take a deep breath, until...

Galvaria's eyes flushed once again with light as he roared. His body started to spasm, and Blaze felt an unearthly cold energy surging all around her. The blue wall of fire suddenly grew five times as tall, the flames flailing wildly. Blaze stood back, suddenly feeling the power of her blade being suppressed by the sudden boost of energy. From the air around her, she could hear a deep and dark laugh.

"I shall not die..." it said. "Though you have struck me down, you have forgotten that I...am a god!"

Blaze clenched her teeth, summoning the fires inside of her to fight against the waves of cold energy being radiated from Galvaria.

"I won't let you win..." she said quietly. "I said it once and I say it again...I will kill you!"

There was another laugh, this time a lot more maniacal than the last one.

"It appears that physical harm will not sway your determination..." he roared. "But have you forgotten? If you really wish to kill me now, while I am still vulnerable, then Silver will also die!"

She felt as if she had suddenly fallen into a pit of nothingness as that moment. All the energy she had built up dissipated immediately. She had completely forgotten until that moment that it was Silver who had transformed into this beast. She felt a striking pain in her heart as she witnessed the wounds that she had caused on Galvaria, knowing that she was actually causing Silver bodily harm. She almost felt the world dying around her, vanishing into black. She felt faint, caught between a rock and a hard place. Her love for Silver would mean nothing without the world to carry it out on, but without Silver, the world was just that, nothing. She didn't know what to do, and fell to her knees in defeat.

"No!" both Stamatis and Milos screamed. "You have to stop him before he gets too strong!"

But Blaze couldn't do it. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up at Galvaria, who was very slowly, but surely, getting back up onto his feet. He was still surging with cold energy, yet still vulnerable.

"...I'm sorry...*sob*..." Blaze cried. "I...don't want him to die...*sniff*...I love him too much..."

"Heh heh! I knew you would succumb to the petty feeling of love! It was exactly what I despised when I had control of Gustav, and I told you how worthless an emotion it was! And now here, you see exactly why it is worthless! You could have saved the world, but instead, you let love get in the way! In a matter of time, my strength will double, no, triple! You and your Sol Emeralds don't stand a chance against my powered form!" Galvaria shouted. "And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...the moment when I cover the world in ice, and begin my eternal rule!"

Blaze closed her eyes, preparing herself for the end. Galvaria had won, it seems. He was right. Love did get in the way this time. And it was love that was about to destroy the world.


	52. Goodbye, Silver

Chapter 52: Goodbye, Silver

A bright red beam shot out from behind Blaze, striking right into Galvaria. He yelled as the beam forced him back onto the floor, leaving him struggling to get up. Blaze looked in surprise and turned around to see Sol with her arms outstretched, a bright red beam shooting from her hands.

"What's happening?" Blaze yelled amidst the sharp noise of the beam.

"You can't let him do this, Blaze" Sol said, looking at Galvaria with concentration. "I'm using whatever energy I have to hold Galvaria down. I can't keep him down for long, but it'll be long enough for you to deal the finishing blow!"

She turned back to Galvaria, who was yelling in an attempt to try and break the searing beam. She felt her heart continue to sink as she watched him struggle. She saw not Galvaria, but Silver.

"I...I can't!" she yelled, tears continuing to slowly fall from her eyes. "He means too much for me to kill him!"

"You can't let that stop you!" Sol shouted. "If you keep contemplating this, Galvaria will get back up! His power will be renewed, and there's only enough power in the Sol Emeralds for the final blow!" she yelled. It appeared as if Sol was struggling to keep Galvaria down under her power.

Looking at Galvaria once again, she felt Sol's words echo through her mind. Only one more strike. It was true; she could feel that the power of the Sol Emeralds had almost fully depleted, whilst the power of the Hestia Blade within Galvaria was just becoming stronger and stronger. If she wanted to save the world, she had to do it now.

But as she took a step forward, she felt her heart slightly give way. She fell to her knees, holding her chest. The images of Silver were stuck in her head; her vault of memories had opened up, flooding into her mind and stopping her advance. She continued to sob tears into the floor, trying her very best to overcome it. But it was no use. She couldn't do it.

She stood up, afraid to even look at Galvaria in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sol!" she cried. "I can't kill him...I love him..." she said quietly.

"No!" Sol shouted. "Don't give in! Deal the finishing strike!" she screamed, before gasping in pain. Blaze turned around and saw that Galvaria was slowly starting to get up. Blaze felt a rising bubble of horror inside her as she saw him overcoming the beam of fire. The bubble burst, and rage seeped through her veins. She became angry and ran at Galvaria, her sword out, ready to finish him off, once and for all.

She reached Galvaria's face and grabbed his rough hair. Yanking his head up and bringing her sword up into the air, she prepared to sink her blade right through Galvaria's head.

But as she did, she gazed into Galvaria's eyes. She saw Silver. Gritting her teeth, she tried to close her eyes, but they were jarred open by the image. She saw images of Silver being stabbed by her sword, him lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He saw images of his smile, his face, just normal images of him. The images compared and contrasted with each other, pictures of the past and the potential future. She felt as if she had the power to stop what was happening within those images. She knew it had to be done, but she didn't know how long she would hold out. She wanted to be with him one more time. Only once, before she could do the job.

And because of that, her arm started to lower. The intensity in her face turned into a weak whimper as her eyes glistened with her tears. Her grip on Galvaria's hair loosened, until she let go completely. She stepped back, almost in utter disgust at what she was going to do. She was almost going to stab Galvaria through his face. Through Silver's.

"...*sob*...I don't want...*sob*...I...I don't want you to die...I love you, Silver...I lo...*sniff*...I..." she stammered, unable to control her tears. She dropped her sword and fell to her knees, digging her hands into her face, crying as hard as she could. The fact that she would never see Silver again, no matter what she did, crushed her entirely. She didn't even care about death or the world any longer. She only wanted to be with Silver, and if he was dead, then she would join him as soon as her death came about to the hands of Galvaria. With so many thoughts circulating in her head, driving her crazy, she could only stay on her knees and cry.

"Blaze!" Sol shouted as the ground started to tremor with Galvaria's growing power. "H-Hurry!"

Sol watched in complete desperation as Blaze remained still, sobbing into her hands. She felt her power diminishing. Galvaria managed to hoist himself up onto one knee, defeating the beam that kept him down. His head still hung low as he looked at Blaze, his teeth gritted, almost in a twisted smile.

"...I'm sorry...everyone..." Blaze said quietly. "I've failed...*sob*...I deserve to die..."

"No, you don't"

Upon hearing the voice, Blaze felt as if she had been struck by a giant wave. It was a voice she hadn't heard for a long time, a voice that felt so pure and different, and a voice that she had been missing for so many days. As she looked up, she saw a transparency within Galvaria's body, a transparency that revealed a figure within, with his emaciated, bony body, withered skin and muscle and tired face. A destroyed figure, but a figure that Blaze loved to the point of being unconditional. It was Silver.

Blaze watched in utter shock as she saw the vision of her lover within the monster.

"Blaze...There is still time..." Silver said quietly. Albeit his appearance, his voice sounded just as healthy as it was when he first vanished. Time seemed to slow to a halt upon his appearance, the atmosphere turning into a cold black and white.

"...Silver...is...is that really you?" Blaze asked quietly, walking towards Silver until they were merely a metre or so apart, with only the bodily presence of Galvaria separating them. It felt as if she were looking into a glass bottle.

"Blaze, I know it's tough" Silver explained, looking at Blaze tenderly. "But if my death results in the salvation of this world, then I'm ready to die. I'm a soldier...I was born for this" he said.

Blaze was still emitting a few tears from her eyes.

"But I don't want to kill you..." Blaze pleaded weakly.

"Blaze...you can't just let Galvaria regain his strength" Silver pleaded back. "If you kill Galvaria now, it's true that you may never see me again. But if you don't then it's certain that you'll never see me again. Do you understand?" he asked.

"...But I love you..." Blaze continued, wiping her teary red eyes with her arm.

"And I love you" Silver replied. "With all of my heart and more. I wanted to build you a world that was perfect for you...and if Galvaria survives, I'll die knowing that I failed you..."

"Silver...please...don't make me do this...It's too much..."

"And it's not just me you're fighting for. There are other people in this world who need you. Your parents..." Silver noted. Blaze's eyes opened slightly. She had almost forgotten about her parents, and as the image of them appeared in her head, she felt even more stupid and guilty for everything she had said. She missed them tremendously.

"...I...my...my parents..." she uttered.

"You see? Can you find the courage inside you, Blaze? Can you do it?" Silver asked, putting his bony hands together.

Blaze looked down and found that her sword had mysteriously moved, now lying be her feet instead of where she left it. It was as if it were alive, ready to work with Blaze to vanquish Galvaria. Blaze looked at it, feeling a tremendous sense of destiny behind the blade. Slowly, her tears finally ceasing, she picked the blade up and held it firmly by the hilt. Looking back at Silver, she noticed that he was struggling.

"Argh...I can't speak with you any longer..." Silver uttered. "Galvaria's influence is becoming too strong. This is it, Blaze...your final chance to save the world...Blaze...goodbye..." he uttered. Closing her eyes, clenching her sword as tightly as she could, she took a deep, harsh breath, a couple of tears re-emerging from her eye lids.

"Goodbye...Silver"

With all the rage and power built up inside of her, she let her hatred loose. She started to slash wildly at Galvaria, cutting through the flesh all over his body. She felt the blood spray onto her, but she didn't care any more. She knew Galvaria was to blame for all of this, and for every slash that she dealt to Galvaria, her anger doubled. She screamed and yelled as she cut open various parts of Galvaria until he was a bleeding mess. With a strong cut, she completely struck his arm right off of his body, adding to Galvaria's screams of extreme pain. Then, just as Blaze felt her energy waning from the exertion, she let out one final yell and sunk her blade right in between Galvaria's eyes.

There was a silence as Blaze looked into Galvaria's eyes again. There was nothing this time, no Silver or anything. Just pure white.

Standing back, Galvaria got to his feet, screaming. The entire area shook wildly, as if a gigantic earthquake was taking place. Everything around Blaze turned white as every touchable material vanished into thin air. She looked at Galvaria, who had thrown his arms out screaming, blue light shooting from out of his body as a flame shot out of his head, like a meteor crashing into a planet. Blaze could hear Galvaria's frenzied screams continuing as his body started to dissipate into nothing. As he did, a few comprehensible screams came out.

"CURSE...YOU...BLAZE!" he screamed as his body disintegrated into ashes. "Curse you, and curse everything you live and stand for! Curse Sol, curse Silver, curse Zanskar, and curse your damn Sol Emeralds! Curse the gods! When I break free many years from now, I shall return onto this weak planet and wreak utter havoc on this pathetic little existence! I'll never die! **I am a god!**" he screamed in a deafening voice, before his voice faded away into a little squeal, vanishing with his body.

Blaze felt supremely weak and fell down. There was no floor to break her fall; she just kept falling into the expanse of white around her. She felt herself resting slowly on a soft surface. Looking up, she saw the face of Sol, smiling down at her. A finger stroked Blaze's hair as she lay wounded by all her battles, the cuts and gashes sending torrents of pain. Blaze looked weakly into Sol's soothing stare as she was stroked be her finger. Her eyes were closing, her body was weakening. She felt depleted of everything. She had lost Silver. She had lost all meaning to her life. Everything she loved felt empty and useless. As her eyes closed and her body shut down, she could hear Sol speaking.

_"Thank you...Blaze"_


	53. Tinder's Log

Chapter 53: Tinder's Log

_It's finally over. This ordeal has finally, after what has felt like the longest time, come to an end. Yet there are still many trials ahead of us. Zanskar Castle has been completely destroyed and the morale of the people has fallen severely as a result. I admit, as I sit in the company of my wife within this tent, updating this log, I too feel rather disheartened. But as king of Zanskar, I cannot let my emotions show. I must be strong for my people, even though we have suffered numerous tragedies._

_The biggest if those tragedies came with the news of Wolfgang's demise. I could see that some townspeople were weeping as I addressed the news of his death. People in our army as well, those who followed under his command as Primary Commander of the Zanskarian forces, wept at his untimely passing. I too, felt sad at the news of his passing, and in return, felt more resentment towards the whole catastrophe. As far as his replacement goes, I'm unsure of who has the skill that matches his, but I suppose we'll just have to keep looking. I sent Laleh a letter requesting the return of his body, fully embalmed to prevent decay, so I hope to hear back from Princess Lolita. I plan to hold a great funeral for him, one deserving of the many years of duty he had served in his extraordinary lifetime._

_Speaking of Princess Lolita, the letter I received from Laleh also explained a few other things, such as Stamatis and Milos. I had never heard of these two fellows before, but according to Lolita, they were very integral as to why this whole adventure was brought to an end. With Milos's supposed prodigal skills in the art of invention and Stamatis's fighting skills, I couldn't help but feel very impressed...and grateful as well. It's no doubt that they helped Blaze and Wolfgang with every inch of their might and intellect, and when construction work on the new castle is complete. I'll be sure to have the both of them knighted. Until then, the letter says that the two have moved back to Carachino to continue their lives...although there have been rumours spreading about the relationship between Lolita and Milos, fuelled by Lolita's constant visits to Carachino. Young love, it seems..._

_I was shocked to hear about King Marcelino. He just seemed to be one of Gustav's followers who had fallen for a man with more power than himself. Galvaria. When I heard that name, it sent many a shiver down my spine. To think that the god of water was reincarnated before my very eyes, within that circle of blue fire! I can never understand the logic behind the Hestia Blade and Galvaria, but from what I've seen, I think this will be the last time we see him. Good riddance._

_Amongst all this, there is some good news. After the battle, we found Silver lying within the rubble, suffering from harsh malnutrition and emaciation...but still breathing. We took him to our infirmary and tended to him, and within a few days, he awoke. He looked a lot weaker than he used to be, but I've placed him under the special care of Amadeus, who'll be sure to get him back on his feet and back in good shape, ready to be a soldier again._

_So this brings me to Blaze. My darling daughter. I swore on that day a month ago, when she left me for the first time, that I would see her again, alive. It's nice to know that she, too, was still breathing. But her condition was far worse than Silver's. Where Silver had just been starved of energy, Blaze was actually badly cut and bruised, her body damaged and disgustingly caked in wet and dry blood. She was barely alive. She is resting in the infirmary, and I visit her every day. It's been three weeks since she was first admitted into the infirmary, but..._

_She hasn't woken up..._


	54. Coma

Chapter 54: Coma

She could hear soft music playing around her. It was the sound of a piano, playing a sweet, yet sorrowful tune. It slowly grew louder, until it filled the entire atmosphere around her.

She opened her eyes to see nothing but stars, dotted amongst a black, night sky. As her body regained some form of consciousness, she saw that she stood on no ground. There were stars above her and stars below her. The entire atmosphere was filled with stars, small and shiny, beautiful. She felt ground beneath her, but there was nothing visible. Just stars. Where was she?

She started to walk, still listening to the soft music playing around her. She didn't feel at all disorientated, in fact she felt rather in love with her surroundings.

"Blaze..."

She looked around; having heard the soft voice that had spoke her name. From nowhere, she saw a fantastic, large piano, with all the ornaments of an organ sat in front of her, metres away. It was massive, with beautiful and intricate sculpting and decorating that stood up high above. It was shaped like a comet marvellously travelling through space, with its tail beautifully crafted at the tip of the contraption and the seat and keys of the organ situated within the heart of the descending golden comet.

There was a woman dressed in light robes playing at it, right in the heart of the machine. Blaze stepped towards her, feeling compelled to discover as much as she could. As she approached it, she stopped by the beginning of the steps that led up to the podium where the woman was playing. The woman appeared to stop, but the piano continued to play its soothing melody. As the woman stood around, Blaze recognized the face to be Sol's.

Sol walked down the steps until she was on the same level of ground as Blaze. Blaze was startled at how Sol actually looked; she was no longer a floating entity, but a somewhat living, breathing being that stood in front of her. She was only marginally taller than Blaze, looked as if she was only ten or so years older than Blaze, and her beauty even caused Blaze to fall in a little bit of a trance.

"...Sol..." Blaze said quietly. Sol let out a smile which warmed Blaze's heart.

"It's all over, Blaze" Sol said. "Galvaria has finally been sealed away within the Hestia Blade. I can assure you that he will not be returning to your land for a very, very long time to come" she said.

"But if he's in the Hestia Blade, what if someone draws it?" Blaze asked. "Won't Galvaria be released again?"

"Let me tell you something, Blaze" Sol explained. "Many, many years ago, your ancestor, Volstead, defeated Galvaria in battle, much like you have done. With my help, he sealed Galvaria within the Hestia Blade, extraditing him from the world you live in. But that was centuries ago, and cracks had formed in the seal that held Galvaria away. When Gustav drew the blade for himself, Galvaria was able to seep through the cracks in the seal and return to the world, with only the physical form of the Hestia Blade itself preventing his full return. When you destroyed it, it broke down the final barrier, and he came back to the world, seeking a vessel to assume his true form. With his defeat now, he shall be locked away for even longer, unable to break free of his shackles no matter who touches the blade, until that seal breaks again, where your descendant will gather the courage to take the Sol Emeralds and use them to seal Galvaria away once again" she explained. "You saved the world, Blaze"

Blaze didn't really feel any sense of achievement inside her. The world she was currently in with Sol seemed to take away all of her emotions. All she felt was a blank and somewhat naive happiness.

"You mean...the blade won't have any power in it?" she asked.

"The Hestia Blade will still contain its devastating powers" Sol explained. "But only the latest descendant of Galvaria can unlock that power. Much like only you can wield the Sol Emeralds. To anyone else, it'll be just a normal blade. And to safeguard it, I shall seal it in an entirely new place, away from the Sol Emeralds, where no man can ever touch it..."

"...Where are we?" she asked. Sol looked about the starry atmosphere before turning to her side.

"This...is your state of mind, Blaze" she said quietly. "Your realm of conscience. To you, this is the calmest place in the entire universe, the depths of your mind. Haven't you realised that your emotions have been drained? Do you feel rather at peace here?" she asked. Blaze understood exactly what Sol was talking about. Not even Silver's apparent death swayed her emotions. She felt utterly calm and reasonable.

"You're right" Blaze answered. "...So what's happened to me?"

"Currently, in the real world, you are in a coma" Sol revealed. "The exhaustion of the battles you faced, plus the heavy toll that the weight of the Sol Emeralds took on you has sent you into this state of sleep. I am here within your realm of conscience, sustaining you, keeping you alive with my powers and my song" she said, gesturing to the air, where the calm song continued to play on loop. It never felt as if it was getting old, the song was perfectly crafted.

"Am I going to wake up?" Blaze asked curiously.

"Yes...you will" Sol told Blaze, stepping up to her. "I cannot tell you what has transpired whilst you have been like this. Your home, your parents, Silver...my power cannot foresee what has happened in the time of your sleep. You must wake up and face the future, no matter what it may be. Are you prepared to do this, Blaze? Are you prepared to return to your normal life, and live?" she asked.

There was a silence between the two of them as Blaze thought about the possibilities of what she would awake to. Looking towards the stars, she felt as if her fate was written in them. She knew she had to go back. Turning to Sol, she nodded, ready to return to the real world. Sol then opened her arms up.

"Then walk into my arms and allow me to break your sleep and return you to your loved ones, Blaze..." she said. Blaze looked at Sol for one last time, knowing that with Galvaria's sealing, she would probably never see her again. She started to walk towards her, allowing Sol's arms to wrap around Blaze. As they closed on her, Blaze felt the warmth radiating from Sol, brining all her feelings and emotions back to her in a flooding sensation. As the area around her turned white, she closed her eyes, clutching onto Sol, experiencing the transition from dream world to real world. Her arms never left Blaze, even as she felt darkness surrounding her once again. She only hoped that she would return to a renewed world, devoid of evil.


	55. The Final Chapter

Final Chapter: Dawn of a New Day

As she opened her eyes, she realised instantly that the starry, peaceful atmosphere that she was in had gone. Her eyes felt a lot heavier than before, and to add, her body was almost fully drained of any energy whatsoever. She felt empty in her stomach and her heartbeat was weak.

But she was alive. Here eyes were open, she was breathing, she was alive. Her blood, although not flowing at optimal strength, was flowing. The machine of her body was functional. After everything it had been through, she was alive.

Instantly, she felt arms wrap around her, caressing her, injecting calmness into her soul. Through her heavy eyelids she could see that her body was bandaged where her cuts had been. She felt the warmth of the person's arms. Looking up, she felt the tension within her melt.

"Blaze...you've finally woken up..."

"Uuugh...S-Silver..."

Using whatever strength she had, she managed to lift her arms enough to wrap them around Silver's body weakly. She could hear the relieved sobs coming from Silver as he held on tightly to her.

"I thought you died...I couldn't bear to think that you were gone...Blaze..." Silver uttered. Blaze closed her eyes, glad to be in Silver's arms after such a long time away. They had finally been reunited after such an arduous trial.

"Silver..." she whispered. "...Is it all over?"

She felt his tender kiss against her cheek and his face rub softly against hers.

"It's all over, Blaze...I'm okay, and there's nobody to harm us anymore..." he said quietly.

"Blaze? Blaze, my darling!"

Blaze looked across to see an even more pleasing sight. Stood at the entrance of the tent that she was in were Elaine and Tinder. Her parents. Silver made way for Elaine, who sat down next to Blaze's bed and held her hand firmly, kissing it.

"Oh, thank the lord you've woken!" she said in tears, holding Blaze's hand next to her face. As she looked up, she saw in surprise that even Tinder was holding back a tear or two, sat down next to Elaine.

"You're alive...my beautiful daughter..." he said quietly, looking down at her with the tender eyes of a loving father. Blaze felt something welling up inside her, the feeling of pure relief and joy. But she felt too weak to cry. She lay there, unmoving, gazing at her mother and father.

"D-dad..." Blaze said quietly, her strength ever so slowly returning. "...Your rapier..." She wanted to tell him that she had lost it, but Tinder stepped closer.

"It doesn't matter now, Blaze" he said, beaming. "I couldn't care less about that rapier. The fact of the matter is you're alive..."

Blaze looked towards the entrance of the tent. She could see a lot of people moving big loads of stone around the place. She remembered the destruction of the castle.

"...Where are we now?" she asked. "The castle...was destroyed in that...collision, wasn't it?"

"Indeed it was" Tinder confirmed. "Luckily, the news of the castle's destruction has spread all across the world. We are now receiving funds from cities all around the world to help re-build the castle. It's going to be a mighty effort, and we may not have the comfort of our own beds for a few months, but I promise that we'll have our castle back one day..." he said with a determination hardly unmatched. "In any case, I know that Silver wants to ask you something very important, so we'll leave you two in peace..."

Without another word, both Elaine and Tinder walked out of the tent, closing the flap door behind them. Both Blaze and Silver were by themselves again.

"...Can you sit up?" Silver asked. Blaze responded by slowly edging her way up until she was sat up in the bed. It was strangely comfortable, and the fact that she could lay back and feel no need to exert any more energy felt great.

"Silver...what's wrong? You don't look very happy" Blaze noticed. It was true; he seemed to look nervous about something.

"Oh, believe me, Blaze, I'm probably one of the happiest people in the world right now...and..." he said. He then shuffled up and sat on the edge of the bed, He took Blaze into his arms once again, cradling her like a dying soldier. He didn't want her to leave his arms, ever. Looking into Blaze's eyes, he kissed her tenderly on her mouth before placing his head on her shoulder, letting out a deep breath. "What I'm about to ask may not seem somewhat correct considering the circumstances and current time"

"What are you talking about?" Blaze asked, quietly.

"Blaze..." Silver said, pulling his head away and looking once more into Blaze's eyes. "Please...no matter what happens after I say this...please don't let it tear us apart" he said.

There was a slight jump in Blaze's heart as he said his plea. Her mind filled with worry and curiosity.

"Blaze...I've been thinking about this a lot..." Silver began. "This is...well, this has been the second time now where the world has been thrown into massive peril. And this is the second time that at the brink of losing, it's been saved. How you or I managed to survive these, I don't know. But haven't you noticed how close to death the both of us have been?" he noted. Blaze remained utterly quiet, listening to every word that Silver said.

"I love you, Blaze" he said. "I've been at your bedside every night, even when I was still emaciated and starved, praying that you would wake up. I can't tell you how glad I am that you're back here with me...I really do love you, Blaze...I really do" he said, holding back tears in his throat. Blaze held onto Silver tighter as she felt him quivering from the emotion.

"I love you too, Silver...with all my heart" Blaze replied quietly, kissing his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed.

"Blaze...I don't know if anything like this will ever happen again...for all we know, a few years down the line, another catastrophe will rise, and we'll have to go and sort it out...so I just wanted to make sure of something. I know we're too young for it...and we'll have to wait. But I talked with your parents, and they're okay with me asking this, just so it's on record. You might not take this seriously, but I'm gonna just go ahead and say it. Blaze..." he said. And as he took a deep, quivering breath, Blaze unexpectedly heard the most important words of her life.

"...Will you marry me?"

Her life changed at that one moment. Everything she was expecting from the future had suddenly vanished into complete darkness. She could feel it there, as he said the words. She knew that there was no reversing what had been said, and no matter what her answer was, fate had set its course.

It was impossible. She couldn't believe a single word that had escaped from Silver's mouth. Was she hearing things? Had she gone crazy from the adventure? Or had Silver gone crazy from his starvation? Was this really the future that Blaze had set out to accomplish? She felt as if she should have prepared something for the occasion; it was a complete and utter shock to her.

Her eyes closed. She knew that she couldn't deny her love for Silver. After being through thick and thin with him, it was fate that had brought them together under this question. She imagined children, bridal gowns, families, heartbreak, growing old, never being away from Silver for more than a month. The biggest image however, was death.

She knew their lives were not set to last forever. Everybody would have to die. The question that rang in her head was when? The amount of times that she had almost died during the course of the adventure she had just been on meant that life could always deal a cruel hand at the blink of an eye. And the same rang true for Silver. Serving in the barracks and the castle meant being ready to defend against any kind of attack. Risking his life. Dying was always a possibility.

Under those circumstances, she closed her eyes and dug herself deeper into Silver. She finally understood everything Silver said. It was as clear as day. She knew that she could only say one thing.

"...Yes..." she said quietly. "Yes I will..."

And as they sat there, in each other's arms, the sun started to rise from the horizon once again, casting its brilliant light across the shaded skies. The dawn of a new day had begun.

**And there we have it. This has been a somewhat wonderful journey from when I started writing this story months ago to today. I never imagined that it would be this long, and I never even thought that I would complete it, but I have. I would like to express my thanks to everyone who had reviewed this story somewhat loyally, my gratitude cannot be deeper. **

**So what do I do now, you may ask? Well, as far as Sonic fanfictions go, I'm going to take a break. But that doesn't mean I'm taking a break from writing, oh no! Currently, I have been working on a new story for all of you who like the _Advance Wars _series. It's my second one, so if you're interested, then go and check it out on my profile! And I realised that amongst the loyal readers who read this story, some of you are Zelda fans! Well, to further appease your appetite, I have just uploaded a new Zelda story, my first multi-chapter Zelda story (and quite a musical one, heh heh), and it should appear within a couple of hours! So for those of you who like Zelda and my writing put together, why not check it out? Finally, if you're in need of a quick story fix, I've written quite a few one shots and such for various game series, so check out my profile for anything else! Thanks once again, bye bye!**


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